Hermione's Dark Plan
by N. Forest
Summary: Hermione and her friends are entering their second year. Sequel to Hermione's Dark Secret and Cloud Over Summer. Very AU! Character death. How will the purebloods deal with a diary and students being frozen left and right? And with Lockhart teaching them?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **JKR owns everything. I don't make any money or own Harry Potter.

_Author's Note: This story is the third in Hermione Morter's series. You should read _Hermione's Dark Secret _and_ Cloud over Summer_ before this. I also apologize for the delay there has been in writing this chapter._

**WARNINGS** (for the entire story): Character Death, Dumbledore and Weasley bashing, Alternate Universe, Violence, Profanity.

Hermione's Dark Plan – Chapter One

"Hi."

Hermione closed her book and set up straighter. "Yes?" The girl standing in the doorway didn't look like someone she knew, although she did look slightly like her brother. "Can I help you?"

Levina opened and closed her mouth, rather like a fish. "Uh, I need to talk to him." She pointed at her brother. "I can't get my trunk into the train."

Gregory Goyle looked to Hermione for guidance, once she nodded he got up. "I'll return momentarily." He said before following his sister out of the compartment. The train was due to leave any moment and they weren't going to wait for two Slytherins to get their trunks on the train.

"So where is Draco?" Millicent asked. "There's so much more space without his ego taking it up, but it feels sort of empty without him."

Pansy sighed. "And Theo. I haven't been able to find him."

**

Hermione was glad to be back. Her trunk was settled neatly in the compartment, it was so nice to have people who'd do everything for her, and her friends were slowly entering the compartment and claiming their own seats.

It was like a court. They came, paid homage and then left to meet up with others that they knew. Hermione filed away everything they told her and the way they spoke. The way that Pansy asked if Theo had arrived and the nervous tones that Daphene had used to ask if she could speak to Hermione later, privately.

It was nice to return. To be in a place where she could figure out what was going and analyse everything. She'd stayed with her godmother, Sara Cutter, during the summer and by August had come to the conclusion that the woman was absolutely insane. Sara claimed to be related closely to house elves and had spent the nights torturing people in her basement.

"Hermione." Pansy slid open the glass door and removed her outer robes. It was comforting to know that Pansy hadn't changed, she still was over dressed and her appearance was meticulous. She reached behind her and pulled someone into the compartment. "Meet my brother."

Hermione put down her diary and looked at the boy. He looked like Pansy and his clothes were the same expensive brand hers were. Hermione looked over him again and noticed that his hair was a darker shade than his sister's. "Hello Mr. Parkinson."

He looked nervously at her. The Parkinson family was currently more powerful than the Morters, but that could change, very quickly if Hermione wanted it to. He swallowed. "I'm Mathias Parkinson. The heir of Parkinson."

Hermione smirked at Pansy. The inheritance had always been a touchy subject with her. She was the only girl in her family and her father had decided to divide the money and property up between his sons. Although he had paid a hefty price to betroth her to Draco Malfoy.

"Nice to meet you." Hermione picked her book back up. "No firsties in this compartment. Pansy, please sit down after you kick your brother out."

Pansy gave Hermione an odd look. Hermione wasn't usually so cold and demanding. In the first year she'd been nervous and shy, depending on Pansy and the other girls for guidance. Pansy liked the control that she got then better than this new version of her friend. "Fine. Leave Mathias. Go find Nadia."

Mathias grumbled but left pulling his trunk along behind him. Hermione could hear it banging along every bump on the floor.

"Who's Nadia?" Hermione snapped. She felt betrayed. It was so hard to stay on top of pureblood society after missing nearly eight years of it. There was so much she didn't know. "Pureblood?" After all, the Parkinsons were an important wizarding family, they shouldn't be associating with mudbloods and like.

Pansy took the seat across from Hermione and settled her robes properly around her as she sat down. "A pureblood girl. Her parents didn't go to Hogwarts, she'll probably become a Ravenclaw." She told her friend dismissively, as if Ravenclaws weren't worth her notice.

Hermione turned her attention back to her book but the Hogwarts Express whistle sounded and the train was filled with laughing, screaming and even a few crying children hurrying to find a place to sit. Hermione flicked her wand at the glass door and place a silencing charm on it. She really didn't feel like getting a headache.

There were a few seconds of loud noise when Greg, Vince, Daphene and Millicent all slipped into the compartment and took their seats. Levina tried to follow her brother in, but a few nasty glares from the occupants of the compartment stopped her and she turned and headed to the compartment next door where a few pureblood firsties had been gathering.

About two minutes after the first whistle there was a second one and the train lurched forward. Hermione put her book down and glanced out the window. And immediately wished that she kept to her book.

The station was filled with family and friends waving wildly at the train. Hermione looked away, wishing that there was someone in that crowd waving for her. Sara Cutter may have been her godmother, but she barely knew the woman and was looking forward to leaving her. She'd come out to the station alone by floo. Sara wouldn't even notice she was missing.

Finally the train lurched forward again and this time just kept on moving. Hermione looked back out the window as the people grew smaller and smaller until they'd disappeared entirely. That made her feel much better. If she couldn't have her parents then no one should.

As the train rounded a bend and started onto a bridge of a river, Hermione turned to face her classmates. They looked older than they had in June. The girls were starting to develop and had longer hair and both Vince and Greg were more muscular. Hermione was happy to see smiles on everyone's faces, even Daphene's. She wished nothing but happiness upon her friends.

But before the fun took place there were responsibilities to be taken care of.. Missing students, making fun of Gryffindorks, and figuring out exactly what was going to happen in the new year. And this time Hermione was going to lead them, after all she was the smartest one there.

"Where are Draco and Theo?" Hermione asked. "They should be here."

The other second years exchanged mystified looks. They had noticed that the two were missing as Draco tended to be the loudest one and it was rather quiet. But no one had received word of them having an alternate method of arriving at Hogwarts.

Pansy shrugged and somehow managed to make the action look graceful and attractive. "I've no word from either of them. Theo wrote earlier in the summer."

Hermione looked over the other students carefully, but none of them appeared to be hiding anything. "Very well. Maybe they've already arrived at Hogwarts. Floo or something." She opened her mouth to continue, but a knock on the door of the compartment surprised her and she stopped.

The entire population of the compartment turned to look at the door. They were ready to sneer and give insults if some Gryffindor or Hufflepuff had been stupid enough to disrupt a group of Slytherins, especially on the first day of school. It would be some kind of record for stupidity.

But the person standing outside wasn't a Gryffindor or a Hufflepuff, or even stupid. He was a Slytherin and he had all his emotions hidden behind a mask of serenity. No hints of nervousness or fear gave him away. He knocked politely again.

Greg was sitting closest to the door and looked to Hermione for guidance. At her regal nod he got up and slid the door open, stepping to the side to allow Blaise Zabini to step into the compartment. His trunk was left out in the passage and he didn't come fully into the compartment.

"I was wondering if I might sit here. Everywhere else was full." Blaise said quietly, he was still nervous around purebloods due to his own lower blood status. Some of them, especially Draco, looked down on him for it.

Hermione looked around quickly, none of the other second year Slytherins seemed hostile or angry about him sitting there. "Go ahead. Theo and Draco aren't here, there's plenty of space." She gave Greg another nod when he moved to help Blaise bring his trunk in and settle it properly above the seats. "How are the twins?"

Blaise let down his mask of calm and broke into a smile. "Happy and excited to be going to Hogwarts. They woke everyone up this morning at five o'clock running up and down the stairs to burn off energy. And they still haven't calmed down."

Pansy laughed. "I know exactly what you mean. My brothers had me up this morning an hour early, they were so excited. And only one of them is starting Hogwarts this year."

"I don't think Levina, my sister, went to bed at all last night!" Greg added in. "Or maybe she took a potion. I can't remember."

Hermione nodded at their stories. Sometimes she wished she had a sibling, mostly she just wished that her parents weren't in Azkaban and she could live with them and get advice and information. She thirsted for it. But it was an unquenchable thirst, for now.

Daphene caught Hermione's eye. Neither of them had siblings and they were starting to get bored. Plus they still both needed to change into uniform robes.

"We'll be right back." Hermione said as she stood up and placed her book on her seat to hold the place. "If the food comes get me some cauldron cakes. I'll pay whomever back as soon as I return." She gestured to Daphene and swept out of the compartment with Daphene stumbling on her slightly too long robes behind her.

The two girls hurried down the corridor and stopped at the end of the train car in front of the lavatory. It was small, because of the train, but it was larger than the ones found on muggle trains – thanks to magic. Hermione opened the door and looked inside.

There were two small stalls and a sink with a mirror over top of it. Hermione stepped in and beckoned Daphene in behind her. Then she pulled out her wand and cast locking charms on the door and silencing spells on all the walls before turning back to her skittish friend.

"All right Daphene." Hermione smiled encouragingly. "Tell me whatever is so secretive and important. You've got my full attention." She leaned back against the wall and relaxed.

Daphene's eyes light up excitedly. "Good." She moved into the largest open area there was in the lavatory. "This summer I used it to escape my parents and it lets me talk to my new familiar. A cat." Daphene checked her appearance one last time in the mirror.

Hermione wanted to tell the girl to get on with it. She was glad that Daphene had been able to avoid her abusive and drug addict parents, but whatever spell she had didn't interest Hermione greatly. She believed that there were many better things she could be doing with her time other than playing audience to her friends.

"Here goes." Daphene whispered to herself. She felt down into her magical core and remembered what the cat's core felt like. In a second she could feel her tissue, muscle and bone twisting and grating against each other as she became smaller and grew fur. Her clothes puddled around her. Daphene was still getting the hang of the clothes thing and it was rather embarrassing when she changed back. But sometimes her clothes changed with her, usually during her unconscious and sleeping transformations.

Hermione looked at the beautiful kitten on the tile floor in astonishment. Of all things she'd been expecting, this was definitely not one of them. She approached the kitten on the floor carefully, after all becoming an animagus was a very difficult process and she didn't believe Daphene could have done it. "Daphene? Is that really you?"

The kitten turned adoring golden coloured eyes at Hermione and gave a soft meow. Hermione scooped the fur ball up into her arms and held it for a moment. She could feel the drumming of the heart beneath her fingers and the breath in the tiny lungs. "Wow."

The Daphene kitten squirmed in Hermione's arms. "Uh, I take that back!" Hermione held the animal out at arms length but not before Daphene managed to rake her sharp claws across Hermione's arm and hand. She dropped her, "ow!"

Daphene landed on her feet and morphed back into a naked girl. She blushed and dressed as quickly as she could, not looking toward Hermione. Once dressed she stepped over to the sink, Hermione had pulled her shirt sleeve up and was busy washing the cuts on her arm with the harsh soap kept in the train. She hissed in pain whenever the soap came into contact with one of the bleeding cuts.

"Sorry." Daphene bit her lip nervously. "I didn't mean to do that. It just sort of happened. I was more like a cat than a girl. I'm sorry."

Hermione growled and dried her arm with a spell. The cuts were still oozing blood. Daphene peered over Hermione's shoulder and hissed in sympathy. There were four long marks starting around the elbow and going into the palm on Hermione's hand. Somehow they'd all managed to miss major arteries and Hermione was not laying on the floor, bleeding out.

Hermione pulled her sleeve down to cover the marks and the two girls left the lavatory as they headed back to the compartment to join their classmates.

"Shall we go find Potty and his friends?" Hermione asked as soon as they arrived at the compartment. "We couldn't let them live in peace could we? I mean, they're Gryffindorks!"

Pansy giggled. "I'd love to join in, but I'm waiting for Draco. Just in case he happens to stop by." She played with a bit of hair on her face. "Daphene's going to wait with me."

"I'll come with you." Greg stood up, his lumbering form seeming more intimidating than ever. "We'll have some fun."

"Count me out." Millicent said

"Same here." Blaise added.

Hermione looked to Vince, he just shook his head.

"Fine then. We're off." Hermione left the room with Greg following on her heels like an lovestruck puppy. All he was missing was an annoying whine for when she ignored him. "Where to Greg?"

The big boy shrugged. "Wherever you want. I don't care."

"Fine." Hermione huffed and headed down the hall to another train car altogether. _It's better to work father away from where we're actually sitting. I wouldn't put it past some of the Huffies to tell on us __and land me in detention on the first night! Definitely far away._

They passed several compartments of fifth years. Mostly Gryffindors and Ravenclaws. Hermione didn't even think about picking on them. They were too big to be scared of two Slytherin first years. Even if it was Hermione Morter.

There was a compartment of unsorted students but Greg recognized Pansy's brother and they had to continue on. Picking on potential Slytherins was not allowed. After all, they could be picked on after they were in Slytherin and then there wasn't the option of convincing the sorting hat to place them elsewhere.

"Here we are. Longbottom and Brown." Hermione smirked as they came across the best friends of Harry Potter. "It looks like they've got another member this year. Baby Weasel." She sneered at the youngest Weasley. The girl was scratching madly away in a little book, her hair almost covering her entire face.

Greg grunted, it was his way of laughing. He yanked the door open and stepped inside behind Hermione.

"It appears you've gone down a level." Hermione declared loudly. The three started and looked up at her nervously. It was usually painful and humiliating when Morter and her friends were around. "Even you Longbottom. You could do better than them." She glared at the two girls. "Purebloods shouldn't associate with blood traitors and half bloods."

Greg grinned maddeningly. "Unless it's to lick their shoes."

Hermione sniggered. Greg was obviously still practising his standard insults every night. Hermione rounded on the Baby Weasel. "Look Greg, it's another Weasel. Doesn't the sight of her nauseate you. The hair and the old clothes. At least one of them died last year. Could you imagine five of them running around? They'd have to lock up all the girls and make sure that we haven't got another crowd of Weasels growing."

Lavender stood up angrily. "How can you talk like that?" She demanded. "Her brother's dead and you come in here and make fun of it? You're heartless, really heartless!"

Hermione looked Lavender up and down. "At least I don't whore for Harry Potter."

"So you only sleep with Malfoys? It that it?" Lavender demanded, wanting to get a decent insult off.

Hermione nodded. "Unlike you, I have standards." She smirked and spun on her heel, her school robes billowing out as the two Slytherins made a dramatic exit.

"I really hate them!" Lavender was seething. "One day I'll get that bitch. And then she can pay. Oh yes, I will make her pay."

Neville didn't respond. He was terrified of both Lavender and Hermione and would rather spend that time in the Greenhouse with things like plants that were nice and quiet. They didn't get angry or insult him either.

"Well that was fun." Hermione said as she skipped along the train cars. The taste of bullying had been intoxicating and she wanted to get some more of it. Put other people down, make others feel worse. Simply because they weren't as good as she was. Their blood wasn't as pure, they weren't as smart, and their grades were poor.

Greg looked down the hall that lead back to their compartment. "Can we go get something to eat?" He asked. "I'm hungry."

Hermione sighed. "You're always hungry. But all right. I could do with a spot of lunch."

Lunch was a lively affair. There were picnic baskets that had been packed by house elves and a few even by mothers and fathers. Pansy and Daphene took orders and caught up with the snack trolley to get a great deal of sugar sweets and treats.

By the time everyone had set up the food the entire compartment was the best smelling one on the entire train. Hermione took a bit of everything, having bought more than a quarter of the treats and bringing an entire basket of potato salad and buns besides.

The eating and laughing and talking continued for quite a few hours as they discussed big issues, from The Weird Sisters band almost breakup to the scandal in wizarding India. An older man had decided that the International Stature of Security was wrong and had cast spells in muggle locations more than ten times.

That prompted a discussion about the Stature of Security and whether or not it was right. By the time that they'd finally agreed that it was necessary to protect everyone from muggles, night had fallen. Darkened landscapes flashed by the windows and no more bird calls could be heard.

"Almost home. Finally." Daphene smiled, remembering what the dorms looked like and classes. "I can't wait."

Pansy shuttered. "I can. Summer homework."

Everyone looked at her. "You mean, you didn't do it?" Hermione asked incredulously. Pansy wasn't the best student, but she tended to do her homework in order to avoid detentions.

"Not really. I sort of got bored with it." Pansy admitted. "Oh well, I'll do it tonight."

Hermione shook her head and helped back up the rest of the left over food. _I wonder how she'll manage to write a six foot essay for Snape? Or the four foot one for Binns? It will take her more than a night to do. And depending on our new schedule, we could have those classes tomorrow!_

The Slytherins made sure that all their food was neatly backed up and put away with preservation charms placed over it. They could always take it out again and hold a party of their own. After all, they were second years! A half hour later bedtime and bigger dorms. It was going to be a great year. Or so Hermione hoped.

After making certain that their robes hadn't gotten messed and the ironing was still perfect, everyone sat down and fidgeted. They were anxious to get to school and it seemed to be taking forever! Daphene would peer out the window every ten seconds or so and complain that she couldn't see the platform yet. Even the buildings in Hogsmeade had not yet emerged from shadow to become solid shapes before them.

"There it is!" Daphene jumped up from her seat and pointed happily out the window. "I can see it! We're almost there!"

And sure enough, a few seconds later the message came from the driver, reminding them to leave their belongings on the train and head up to the castle. Hermione jumped up and followed Greg out into the great mass of people struggling to get off the train.

"Look at all the first years." Pansy pointed to a group of scared looking kids who seemed smaller than everyone else. "Aren't they tiny?"

Millicent hit the smaller girl on the arm. "Lay off Pansy. You were the same way last year. In fact, you're practically still their size this year."

Everyone laughed at Millicent's joke, except for Pansy of course, as they made their way through everybody else to the doors of the train. Hermione managed to stay behind Greg and Vince and their bulk cleared a way for her.

"Let's get a carriage together." Hermione grabbed Greg's arm and pulled him toward the one that she'd seen Pansy disappear into. They arrived and she hurried in and took a seat on the rotting velvet. "Hey." She said, glancing around. "Sorry Greg. No space left in here."

The Patil twins had filled the first two seats and Pansy was in the third. Hermione had slipped into the forth and then it was full.

"There has to be an awful lot of these carts." Padma commented. "Last year the hall was full when we were brought in and it didn't take very long." She looked at her Gryffindor twin. "Remember? In the boat and the lake, it was so pretty."

Pansy smiled and leaned forward. "Are you looking forward to this year? Quidditch, classes. And of course we're no longer first years."

Parvati gave a sight of relief. "It certainly took long enough. Seemed as if the older students were bossing us around forever!"

"All over now." Hermione glanced out the window. "This is really fast! We're almost at Hogwarts."

The three other girls followed her example and leaned out the windows. Sure enough, Hogwarts was looming right ahead. The tall towers and turrets met the sky with bold lights and owls were weaving in and out as they greeted their masters.

"Finally." Hermione jumped out of the carriage as soon as it came to a stop and the door opened. There were hundreds of people milling around outside, all making their way towards the main doors of the school and past the stern figure of Professor McGonagall.

Pansy wrinkled her nose when they walked past the old woman and Hermione laughed under her breath. It wouldn't be a good thing to have detention on the first night, no matter how well deserved. "Come on Pansy. Laugh later. Like in the Slytherin common room. So you don't get us all in trouble." Hermione called out.

The Great Hall was filled with the loud, joyful voices of students returning to their friends and classmates. Hermione looked around, remembering the beauty of the enchanted ceiling and the floating candles that cast a bright glow over the entire hall. It was amazing, it was like coming home.

Lila Murdock, a new Slytherin prefect was beckoning the Slytherins over to their table and making sure that everyone was sitting down in the correct place. The organized nature made it look so professional and tidy, not like the absence of a system at the Gryffindor table. Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw weren't organized either, but the Ravenclaws were quiet and Hufflepuffs seemed to slip under everyone's notice.

"Hey!" Hermione slipped into a seat farther away from the head table. "Draco, Theo. We were wondering where you were. Some of us got quite worried." She pointed to Pansy. "Where were you guys anyway?"

Draco shrugged. He was in enough trouble with his family and his godfather. The last thing he wanted was his classmates abandoning him. "Isn't this great? Sitting farther down. Now Snape can't watch us as closely." He smiled nervously in his attempt to change the subject.

Hermione ignored him and turned her gaze to Theo. "So where were you? I could have used your sharp tongue today. No one else wanted to bother the Gryffindors with me."

Theo laughed. "I did miss that. But I was staying at Hogwarts with my dad. He's working on a new project and we stayed here to use the library. And since he's sort of got a girlfriend."

Pansy's mouth fell open at the news. "You're kidding! Your father couldn't get a girlfriend if his life depended on it. And besides, I thought he was terrified of women ever since your mum died." She looked incredulously at Theo. This was the most shocking news she'd heard all day.

Theo nodded. "He's got a girlfriend. At least, I think he does."

"Whose got a girlfriend?" Blaise asked, taking a seat closer to the group. He felt more welcome than he had last year. It was nice to have friends among your room mates and fellow Slytherins. "Someone I know?"

Hermione shook her head. "Theo's father might have a girlfriend. Not that it really matters to you." She shrugged. "So Blaise, how was your summer?"

But before Blaise could open his mouth to tell her, Professor McGonagall entered the hall with a group of small, nervous looking students following her in. There was the Weasley girl, a set of pale blond twins, Goyle's sister, and a boy who Pansy claimed was her brother.

"They're so small!" Someone farther up the Slytherin table exclaimed. Immediately the dark figure of Professor Snape turned to them from the head table and sent out such a devastating glare that the entire table shuddered while imagining what he'd do if they continued talking.

The brim of the sorting hat opened and it began its song.

"Many years ago, before I came to be,

Four bright mages, a common dream could see.

A school for those who shared powers,

so came to be Hogwarts, school of many towers.

There was Gryffindor, brave and strong,

his house a home for those who hold friendship long.

Loyal and true,

his members grew.

And Ravenclaw was brilliant,

her followers stopping those too militant.

For her knowledge is right,

it illuminated the ignorance of night.

There was kind Hufflepuff, never a nicer women,

she helped all, caring only to the kind summon.

For all should have a place,

regardless of gender or race.

Lastly there was Slytherin, a most cunning man,

His students were ambitious, any others were banned.

For those of pureblood he'd welcome to his room,

all the rest, he'd never grant a boon."

The hat closed its brim and the hall erupted in cheers and wild clapping for the hat's newest song.

Professor McGonagall stepped up next to the stool with the ratty looking sorting hat on it and unrolled a long scroll. "When I call your name, you will come to the front, place the sorting hat on your head and wait to be sorted." She looked over the group of first years. "Creevey, Colin."

Hermione watched as the boy stumbled over his robes in his excitement to get to the sorting hat.

"Mudblood." Draco whispered, barely loud enough for the people sitting around him to hear. Hermione nodded and a moment later Creevy was sorted into Gryffindor.

Six students later, Jeremiah Goodwinter was made the night's first Slytherin. The table cheered him loudly, happy to finally have something to talk about. He took the first seat at the end of the table and watched as the rest of the students were sorted.

The next two girls, Goyle's sister and Nadia, the girl that Pansy had shared her room with over the summer, both ended up in Slytherin and took seats next to each other. Levina Goyle waved happily to her brother and cousin.

Eight students later, Pansy's brother, Mathias, was made a Slytherin. He smirked at Pansy as he walked over to the table and took his seat. Then a pair of twins,Jessica Watson and Jacob Watson, were sorted, both landing in Slytherin.

Hermione watched as they made their way over. They were the pale, blond haired children she'd noticed before the sorting had begun. "Draco." She hissed, hitting him on the arm. "Are they related to you?"

Draco turned his grey eyes down the table and looked at them carefully. "I don't think so." He whispered back. "Maybe indirectly, but I've never met the Watson children. The Watson parents were at the ball this year. I remember seeing them."

The sorting was rather boring until the last three students who all became Slytherins. There were Blaise's twin bother and sister and Anthony Wolf who'd met the Goyles over the summer.

Professor McGonagall rolled up the scroll and moved the sorting hat away, to be used the next year.

"There certainly are a lot of twins this year. And they all ended up in Slytherin." Millicent whispered. "It'll be interesting, to have first years below us. People we can boss around." She gave a predatory smile to the newest Slytherins.

Hermione looked around the Great Hall one last time before digging into the food that had just appeared. It was nice to be back.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **JKR owns everything and all the Harry Potter money. I don't. :(

Hermione's Dark Plan - Chapter Two

After Headmaster Dumbledore made his start of term announcements, nothing usual, just reminders to not use magic in the corridors and stay out of the Forbidden Forest, the hall turned to chaos. This time Hermione as able to pay attention and watch what the prefects did. She wasn't a terrified first year any more.

The prefects spilt into three teams of two and stood along the sides of the Slytherin crowd that weren't next to the crowd. Heather Duke, the head girl, lead the way into the dungeons with the others making sure that no one fell behind or got lost.

As they left, Hermione scanned the Gryffindor table one last time. Harry Potter had not been spotted and she was starting to worry. _If Potter doesn't show up then who will Snape vent his frustrations on? Who will we pick on everyday? Hufflepuffs, I guess._

Once they arrived at the entrance to the common room, a new prefect stepped up. Lila Murdock was her name and she looked nervously at the Slytherin students assembled before her.

"This is the uh- entrance to our common room and dormitories." She looked nervously at the head boy and girl who were starring at her intensely. "You have to have a password to get in. It's Asphodel."

Hermione wanted to sigh in relief when the wall slide aside and the Slytherin common room was revealed. All was exactly as she remembered it. The drapes of cloth and been washed and the snake sculptures polished. A fire burned cheerfully in the hearth and the dormitory doors had been replaced with new wood.

"Miss it?" Theo asked under his breath as the prefects got everyone in and assembled at the front of the common room. Lila Murdock stepped up onto one of the work tables and sent a stream of sparks shooting from her wand to get every ones' attention.

"Up here everyone!" She gave her wand another wave. "Thank you, the first house meeting will be starting in ten minutes. Return to the common room by then." Lila jumped down off the table and headed over to the other fifth years.

Hermione caught Millicent's eye and pulled Daphene along with her towards the girls dormitories on the left. Pansy arrived a few seconds before them and opened the door. "Remember the times we've had?" She asked, smiling.

Millicent smiled. "Last year. The dueling and Weasley dying! And having that hair dying party. I wish that Snape hadn't made us wash it out." She laughed as the image of Pansy's hair a bright green instead of chestnut brown.

Pansy ran her hand over the lighting plate and headed down the hall. "We get the nicer bathrooms this year. Moving up!" She pumped her fist in the air. "New dorm!"

Hermione glanced at the list on the door. It held the same four names it had last year, simply one room down. She turned the doorknob and stepped in. The room was almost the same as the first year one was. But the green paint and the curtains around the bed were a slightly darker shade. The desks had another drawer and there was an extra hook on the wall for each girl.

"Nice." Pansy looked over the four sections and pulled her trunk into the one closest to the door. "This year I'm not going to miss the best sink and shower. I'll get there first every time."

Millicent shrugged and headed to the third bed from the door. Hermione claimed the one farthest away. She didn't really care for Pansy and both Daphene and Pansy were light sleepers. Keeping them up at night with her reading lamp was a good way to make enemies.

"Girls, are you in here?" Heather Duke opened the door and stepped in. Her auburn hair was braided neatly up and fastened to the back of her head. Nothing like the mop Weasel junior had. "Professor Snape is due to arrive any second. Do you really want to get chewed up on the first night?"

Nothing else needed to be said. All four dropped what they were doing and high tailed back to the common room, praying that they'd arrive before Snape. They had managed to avoid detention for the entire day, it wouldn't do to fail now.

And sure enough, as they arrived and took their places standing behind the firsties, the door marked 'Office' burst open and Snape strode out, his cloak billowing out behind him. He stopped in front of his students and looked over them. As if evaluating each and everyone of them. It was unnerving to say the least.

"This, most obviously, is Slytherin House. Welcome, to those of you in the first year. To the rest, welcome back." Snape looked over them again, as if trying to determine who would not be welcome tomorrow. "Prefects." He motioned to the side and the six stepped up to join him.

Heather took charge. "Both the Head Girl and Head Boy are Slytherins this year. Abraham Montague and I will be happy to help you if you need anything. The others are, Lila Murdock and Ivan Bole for fifth years and Brighet Sawyer and Samuel Palce for sixth years. Obey them as you would a professor." She stepped back to the side and let Professor Snape take the floor again.

Snape began pacing the exact same path he'd walked the year before. Hermione thought his speech sounded rather familiar to. "Slytherin house is picked on by all the other teachers and students. We cannot afford to be divided. Within the halls everyone must protect and come to the aid of their fellow snakes. Just make sure to preserve as many points as possible. There will be consequences for your rule breaking."

He stopped his rant for a moment, studying the first years. "If you need the rules clarified there is a rulebook in each dormitory and the prefects will be happy to help you." He looked closely through out the crowd for the last time. "That will conclude our meeting. First years please follow me."

Hermione watched at the nervous crowd of firsties followed Snape into his office. That had been her the year before. This year she was free. _I've known about my true heritage for a year now. It's only been a year, but it seems like so much longer._

"I'm going to unpack." Pansy announced to the other second years. She lead the way back to the dormitories. This time it took longer to get to their dorm, all the other students were trying to get to theirs and the second years were the smallest. They lost in the pushing competitions.

Finally the four broke through and returned to the long, tedious task of unpacking their trunks. Technically they could live out of the trucks, they were big enough to hold all their belongings. But it was hard to find things and clothes got wrinkled. Using the bookshelves, wardrobes, hooks and desks provided was a better idea.

Millicent was the first to finish. She stuck her last bottle of ink into the bottom drawer of her desk and collapsed back onto her bed. "Done."

Pansy groaned. She was organising her clothes as she hung them up and many of them needed to have ironing charms cast over them after being packed in a tight trunk. Daphene finished shortly after Millicent and let her kitten out of her cage.

"Say hello to everybody." Daphene told the animal. Cuddling it in her arms and making cooing noises of her blue, furry head.

Hermione stuffed another book onto her shelf and neatened up the ones that had to stay in her trunk because the shelf ran out of room. "Did you read all the Lockhart books? I can't believe we're actually having him as a teacher. All the things he's done!"

"He says he's done."

The girls heads snapped towards the door. Draco stood in the doorway, Vince and Greg standing menacingly behind him.

"Hermione, the guy's an idiot. He was over for dinner and I couldn't believe the outrageous things he was saying. He claims to have done so many amazing things." Draco laughed, but this time no one laughed with him.

Theo squeezed into the room, manoeuvring around Greg and Vince's considerable bulk. "Honestly Draco. Just because you can't do anything with you life doesn't mean that other people can't." He glared at Draco until the boy left. "Although I haven't read Lockhart's books yet."

Pansy laughed. That was just like Theo, making assumptions and judging people without a lot of information. It was one of the flaws that could be useful, especially when unleashed on people she was out of sorts with. Like Draco.

"What's with Draco anyway?" Hermione asked, proping herself up on her elbows. "Why did he spend the summer here? He didn't write to me either."

Theo smiled viciously. "Draco's in trouble. He seems to have developed a caring attitude towards muggles. His parents weren't pleased. Apparently his father threw him out and Snape's his godfather so he ended up here. Somehow I don't think Snape was pleased with him either."

Pansy, Daphene and Hermione exchanged incredulous looks. _In June, Draco wouldn't talk to Blaise because he's half blood. The next month he's caring about muggles? What on Earth is going on around here?_

"So now Draco's trying to find someone to hang with." Theo added. "We should probably ignore, in his best interest of course. Just until he gets the muggle thing under control." He looked at the girls and Greg and Vince. "I can count on you, right?"

Hermione nodded and Greg followed her lead. Daphene and Pansy exchanged looks and nodded together.

"I don't care." Millicent declared. "I only talk to people if it's convenient. And usually talking to Draco isn't convenient for me so it won't make much of a difference."

Everyone turned to Vince. He was sort of Draco's bodyguard and he would be the deciding factor. Whether or not he would abandon Draco, his master and leader. "I guess. But I'm not talking any orders from girls!" He added quickly. "Theo can help me with my homework."

Theo smirked. "Good, good. Thank you ladies, for helping me solve this little dilemma." He stopped posing against Pansy's desk and headed out of the room, closing the door behind him.

"Joy." Hermione looked at the other three girls. "It's not even the first day of classes and we're already turning against each other. I don't know what you think, but this sounds like the kind of plan that will bring Snape on our heads. He hates inner Slytherin conflict more than anything."

Daphene looked nervously at Pansy. She didn't want to end up in trouble with her Head of House after all he'd done for her. "I'm sure Draco will come around quickly. Besides, it's not like we'll pick on him, at least out side of Slytherin."

"I'm going to bed." Hermione pulled the curtains closed around her area and relaxed. That was the best part of being a second year. There weren't just curtains around the beds, when pulled closed, the first set of curtains created a small room with a bed, wardrobe and desk. There was still a second set of curtains around the bed. Hermione loved the privacy and quiet it created.

She changed into a Slytherin green flannel nightgown and climbed into bed. It would be a long day tomorrow. A good day, an exciting day. But getting back into the school schedule took a few days and the first few were exhausting.

**

_Surrounded by people. But they weren't really people. They were chanting in some strange tongue. The sound scared her. It shook her down to her bones and Hermione could feel it in her spine and feet. It was coming closer, it was coming to get her._

_Hermione looked around wilding for something that she could use as a weapon. There had to something, a rock, a shard of glass. But there wasn't anything. She was somewhere empty, somewhere only the chanters could find._

_The chanters were drawing closer. Enclosing her in a very visible circle. A teeming mass of bodies flowing around her, turning to one as they moved faster and faster and one couldn't see individuals any more. There was only one._

_Then as suddenly as the display had started, it ended. Two figures emerged from the many. Two figures that screamed danger to Hermione. But her feet were rooted to the ground, no movement was possible. All she could do was wait._

_The figures were clear now. A man and a woman. But they were not human. Hermione watched, horrified as they lifted their left arms to her in an odd salute. Both of them kissed their forearms and then they turned their arms and kissed their elbows._

_Snakes began to crawl, snakes that had been tattoos on their arms came to life. They came out of their skin and began to slither towards Hermione. _

_But they were bad. Hermione knew they were bad, she knew that they would hurt her if they touched her. She wanted them gone. Hermione twisted and turned, pulling at the bonds that kept her still. She screamed for help, noise finally coming to her._

**

"Hermione! Wake up!"

Someone was shaking her. Hermione opened her eyes, gasping for breath. She sat up, grabbing Daphene's thin shoulders. "Where are they, the snake people? Are they gone yet?" She demanded, terrified to the point of hysteria.

Daphene pulled away, frightened by the wild, angry look in Hermione's eyes. "I-I don't know what you mean. Hermione please, just wait. Pansy went to get Professor Snape."

Hermione shook her head. "Daphene, I need to know where the snake kissers are. They want to get me! They'll kill me if you don't stop them!" Hermione was dimly aware of two other people entering the area around her bed, both in nightclothes.

A cool hand touched her forehead and the nightmare evaporated, Hermione came back to the real world. "Sir!" She exclaimed, looking into the dark eyes of her Head of House. "I'm sorry Sir. I didn't mean to wake you."

Professor Snape raised an eyebrow. "Miss Morter, you did not wake me. Miss Parkinson was most adamant that I come at once. She said you were screaming and thrashing about. Is, was there a problem?"

Hermione looked nervously at Daphene. "I don't think so Sir. There was a nightmare, but it passed. Sorry for waking you Sir." She tried to glared at Pansy, but after just waking up the intensity was practically in the negatives.

Snape continued to look down at Hermione. He didn't believe her, but after being the Head of Slytherin for many years he knew that most students would not share their nightmares and weaknesses with him. All he could do was provide them with potions or send them to the Hospital wing if they were truly becoming sleep deprived. "It's too close to morning for me to give you a dreamless sleeping potion. But you may still take a calming draft."

Hermione shook her head. "No Sir. I don't need a potion. But thank you for offering Sir." She looked down at her clasped hand and moved back under the bedclothes. "Good night professor."

Snape muttered, "Good night", to the four second year girls as he made his way back to his quarters in hopes of getting a few more hours of sleep. Pansy returned to her bed quietly, but Daphene glared at Hermione and such a glared Hermione had never seen before. She was still pondering over it when Daphene returned to bed and turned out the room's lights.

The darkness struck Hermione in a bad way. It was scary and made then room seem like the one in her dream. Imposing and terrifyingly small as if the walls would close in and crash her at any given moment. Hermione managed to cast a silent Lumos charm before she hyperventilated, but it was a close thing.

_I guess there will be no sleeping tonight._ Hermione picked one of the books off her bookshelf. _Peter Pan. I remember the first time my mother, no she's not my real mother! _Hermione shook her head angrily. She didn't like it when she thought of the Grangers as her parents. It had all been a cruel Ministry trick and she wanted to moved past it, forget it ever happened. Yet there was nearly ten years of memories spent with her parents. Baking cookies, visiting grandparents, story time and bedtime stories.

"No. I'm not going to think about that." Hermione whispered determinately to herself. _I am stronger than my memories. I have self control and I can control what I think about! _She put Peter Pan back on the bookshelf and grabbed Hogwarts: A History, it was one of those books that you simply couldn't read too often.

Hermione tried to enjoy her book once again. But it was growing dry, repetitive. After all, she did enjoy learning and reading factual texts. But shockingly, Hermione was ready was some fictional. _A novel, maybe wizarding classics. I've never read any wizarding fiction. It could be a good opportunity. I'll ask Pansy tomorrow and Theo of course._

Time passed slowly as the hands on the clock began to creep closer and closer to 6 o'clock. Hermione had heard that anyone who left their dormitory before six set off Professor Snape's alarms and she didn't want to have to make excuses to the man twice in the same day. She respected Snape.

Finally, after what seemed like hours of waiting, the minute hand moved past twelve and it was officially 6:01. Hermione hopped out of bed and removed her sweat soaked pyjamas. She dropped them in the laundry basket, hoping the house elves would clean them as quickly as possible. Her nightmare had been embarrassing enough.

The showers were empty and Hermione took the best one. None of them had been used yet and she relaxed for the first time since her nightmare under the hot stream of water. She washed her long tresses and applied plenty of the special conditioner that Sarah Cutter had given her as an early Birthday gift. It worked wonders in keeping her hair sleek and behaved. Hermione was already working on making buckets of the stuff for herself.

By the time Hermione had finished showering, dried off and dressed it was almost seven o'clock. _Spending ages in the shower, what a wonderful new way to waste my precious time. _She gathered up her bathrobe and towels and headed back to the second year dormitory. Now there was the nose of other students stirring. True, breakfast didn't start until eight o'clock and few people arrived before hast past eight, but it was the first day of classes. There was nervousness, there was anxiety. And there were new firsties.

Hermione put her stuff back into her dorm and gathered her supplies for the first day. She brought all her books, since they hadn't received their schedules yet and immediately changed her opinion on Lockhart. He might have been a good writer and have claimed to do all kinds of amazing things. But he had too many books and they were too heavy for her to carry all of them around. _I could always get Greg to carry them of course._

The Slytherin common room was empty, a rarity. There were always couples on the couches, study groups working together and people just relaxing out of their dormitories. Looking at the same four walls got old very quickly. In the common room, something was always changing.

Hermione checked her watch one last time. It said that it was nearly eight o'clock and since Hermione didn't think that Hogwarts curfew was in effect after six or seven o'clock, she set out. It took a few minutes to walk to the Great Hall. _And I'll talk to the Gryffindors. Hopefully get some dirt on Potter, if he's even bothered to show up yet. Maybe he died!_

But even the Great Hall was nearly empty. There were four Ravenclaws eating quickly, hoping to get into the library before classes that morning and a group of porky Hufflepuffs all wearing matching purple and pink badges that told everyone they were the 'food club'. Hermione was tempted to laugh at them, but she was out numbered and they were rather large.

There was one lone figure at the Gryffindor table, a red headed Weasley wearing a prefect badge. Hermione almost ignored him and continued on to the Slytherin table. But at the last second she changed her mind and headed across the hall to talk to him.

Percy Weasley looked up from his Arithmancy textbook when he heard footsteps coming his way. Then the figure drew nearer and his glasses sharpened the image enough for him to see the face of Hermione Morter, Slytherin enemy of all Weasleys Percy was busy and not exactly in the mood to be insulted.

"Percy Weasley?" Hermione stopped in front of the Gryffindor and offered her hand. "I'm Hermione Morter. I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions."

Percy glanced up, wanting more than anything to yell at her and order her to leave him alone. But he didn't. Instead he said, "certainly Miss Morter. What would you like my assistance with?"

Hermione bit her lip nervously. _If I do this the wrong way, I'm dead and no one will ever trust me again. _"You see, it's about Harry Potter. I was getting worried, has he arrived yet?" _Perfect Morter, absolutely amazing. Just hope he doesn't ask why you're worried._

But it was too early in the morning for Percy to be thinking at the speed and level he usually did. "I'm sorry, I can't help you there. He wasn't on the train and he didn't come to the common room last night." His chest swelled with importance, "Professor McGonagall told us prefects that she was going to his house last night. Just to see if he was ill or missed the train."

Hermione nodded, that was all she wanted to know. But it never hurt to keep a good informant happy. "Thank you Percy. That really helped me." She smiled sweetly and headed to the other side of the Great hall to take her place as ruler of the Slytherin second years.

"Sleep well?" Daphene hissed into Hermione's ear before she sat down. "Or did you even sleep at all?" She asked under her breath.

Hermione glared sharply at her. "Not that it's any of your business, but I slept wonderfully." She looked around the Great Hall. It was full of chattering students, excited and anxious to get their schedules. And for the third and sixth years there would be new courses and new teachers.

Lila Murdock had the schedules for the first four years and spent the majority of breakfast handing them out. Hermione was tense and full of nerves by the time the piece of paper was handed to her.

Monday – Transfiguration , Potions, Charms

Tuesday – History, Free, Defence

Wednesday – Herbology, Charms, Astronomy

Thursday – Defence, Free, Charms

Friday – Potions, Transfiguration, History.

"And today's Tuesday!" Draco's voice ran out unhappily. "Binns and then Lockhart! This sucks!"

Hermione opened her mouth to remind him of the free period, but stopped just in time when the rest of the second years glared at her. She'd almost slipped up before they'd even really started! But the stony silence remained unbroken and Hermione continued to chew her cornflakes as if nothing had happened.

Pansy finally tired of the quiet and smiled at Theo across the table. She was still looking forward to another conversation with him in the rose garden. "Say Theo, think that Binns will talk about anything other than goblin rebellions this year? Maybe he might even mention something that happened less then five hundred years ago?"

Theo laughed and the laugh disturbed Hermione. There was too much pleasure in it. As if he was enjoying shutting Draco out, not just doing it to help the boy. "Dream on. It will be another year of Uric the Unclean and Bodric the Bald. Binns just loves digging deeper and deeper into the past, the closer he comes to now the less he seems to enjoy himself."

"Homework!" Hermione's mouth flew open and her hands flew to her bag in worry. But a few moments later she breathed a sigh of relief. Upon seeing the stares of the others she hurried to explain. "I almost thought that I'd forgotten the assignments at home or in the dormitories. But they're here." She patted her bag comfortably and winced. "I forgot how much I'd stuffed in here."

Millicent looked in and laughed. "We've never used our textbooks in Binns class unless it was to work on an essay and that has always been outside of class! You really are through Hermione. Your bag could probably see us through a lab explosion and an earthquake."

Greg grinned stupidly. "With Longbottom is there really any difference?"

The general consensus that morning was a resounding "NO!"

Finally the tabled cleared itself and the Head table emptied as teachers left to prepare their first classes of the year. Hermione had glanced up there from time to time and noticed that none of them, save Lockhart, did anything more than drink a few cups of steaming tea. It was just like exam week, only shorter.

Hermione gathered up her pile of books and dumped as many of them as she could into Goyle's arms. _There's no way I'm going to carry all those books, I don't even think I could carry them all that way._ "I'll be right back." She told her friends before slipping over to the first year section.

The firsties were sitting quietly, nervously looking around at their surroundings. Hermione stopped next to one of the girls and plucked the schedule out of her hand. "What do you have now?"

"Potions. Then Defence." The girl Hermione had taken the schedule from said.

Hermione looked at her more closely. "I'm Hermione Morter." She offered her hand. _It's always good to make allies and friends. In every year._

"Jessica Watson." She motioned to the boy sitting beside her. "This is my brother, Jacob Watson."

Hermione nodded. "I've never heard of the Watsons before. Are you related to the Malfoys?" _Draco already said that they're not closely related, I wonder what their story is._

Jessica shook her head. "I don't think so. My parents have lived in Brazil for most of their lives, doing research on the local magic. They only moved back so that we could learn more about England before coming to Hogwarts."

Hermione smiled and handed the schedule back. "Nice talking to you." She returned to the second years and picked up the full bottle of ink that wouldn't fit in her bag with all the books. "Let's go." She groaned. "More history."

The second years headed through the halls and up four flights of stairs until they arrived at Professor Binns classroom. The door was unlocked and they made their way in and took their seats. It seemed exactly the same as it had been the year before. Boring and dull.

"I'll take notes today. But someone else has to take them next class." Theo declared, getting out his supplies. "If someone takes notes each class, then they won't get as tired and we'll all have good notes." He looked around. "Great. Hermione can take them next time."

"Whatever." Hermione shrugged and put her head down on her desk. The excitement of the first day was gone and she was back to being exhausted after the small amount of sleep she'd gotten.. "Whose history with this year? Please don't tell me it's the Gryffindors. I can't handle them this morning."

"It's Hufflepuffs." Daphene said as soon as the second group of students began to make their way through the door. "This class certainly is going to be a quiet one." She moaned in frustration. "Lockhart had better be good. Otherwise Tuesdays are going to be hell!"

At that moment Professor Binns floated in through the chalkboard and settled down in front of his podium. He opened his mouth and began yet another lesson on goblin rebellions. The snores could be heard throughout the classroom was the students started dropping like flies.

"Morter. Morter!"

Hermione jumped as the sound of someone whisper-calling out her name. She looked around wildly. "Yeah?"

"Hermione Morter." The girl in front of her turned around and Hermione relaxed. It was Susan Bones, a good pureblood family, even if they all tended to be Hufflepuffs.

"Yes Susan Bones?"

Susan smiled. "I heard you were worried about Harry Potter. He's at school now. Hannah and I went to visit him in the Hospital wing. But they wouldn't let us in."

Hermione nodded. "Thanks." Susan smiled and turned back to her notes. _Why is Potter in the Hospital wing? Maybe he almost died! Probably he just needed some more sleep and he got it just because he's the 'Boy-Who-Lived', I hope that Snape will put him in his place in class. I haven't gotten to make fun of him yet._


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** JKR owns Harry Potter and his universe. I don't.

_Author's Note: Several paragraphs in this chapter are taken directly from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, they are written in italics._

Hermione's Dark Plan – Chapter Three

"Let's hope that Lockhart is a decent teacher." Hermione grumbled. They'd stopped at the Slytherin dorms after lunch to dump books they didn't need and gather up the ones that Lockhart had required them to buy.

Theo snorted. "We have to share the class with Gryffindors. Do you really expect it to work well? We might be able to keep up with the man, but people like Potter, Longbottom? At least Potter's in the Hospital wing."

"Did you find out why?" Daphene asked, the entire thing stank of abuse to her. And Daphene wouldn't wish that upon anyone. It was bad enough that she had to suffer. No one deserved it.

The Slytherins filed into the classroom and took their seats, piling the books high in front and around themselves. There was just too many for them to fit onto a desk. And all the books had a picture of Lockhart on the front, with that award winning smile of his.

Hermione looked over the Gryffindors as they entered. Without Potter them seemed rather subdued. As if there wasn't anything special about them. _They should be like this. Just because the 'Boy-Who-Lived' is in their house doesn't make them better than the rest of us._

The second the bell rang, the door was closed and Lockhart stopped at the front of the class and grabbed Parvati Patil's copy of Travelling with Trolls. He held it up to his face and the smiling, winking picture of Lockhart seemed to get even happier when near the actual thing.

"_Me, Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, third class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defence League and five times winner of the Witch Weekly Most-Charming Smile Award – but I don't talk about that. After all, I didn't get rid of the Bandon Banshee by smiling at her." Lockhart grinned looking around the class._

All of Hermione's hopes that Professor Lockhart would actually be a decent teacher went down the drain. The man was obsessed with himself. Hermione wanted to lock him in a room with all his books and make him look at his own nauseating face twenty four/seven. _Of course, he'd probably enjoy it._

"_I see you've all bought a complete set of my books – well done. I thought we'd start today with a little quiz, nothing to worry about, just to check how well you've read them, how much you've taken in. . ." Once he handed out the papers he returned to the front of the class, "you have thirty minutes. Start – now!"_

Hermione looked at the paper and almost laughed. She'd read the books, and played close attention, but these questions were ridiculous!

_What is Gilderoy Lockhart's favourite colour?_

_What is Gilderoy Lockhart's secret ambition?_

_What, in your opinion, is Gilderoy Lockhart's greatest achievement to date?_

Hermione flipped the page and turned the next one. _Three pages! He expects us to answer three pages on him in the next thirty minutes._ Hermione wanted to shake her head in disbelief and wake up to find it all a dream. It certainly seemed ridiculous enough. _But this could just be a mistake. Lockhart's a new teacher, he's allowed to make a few screw-ups. This is only the first class of the year._

Theo caught Hermione's eye as she glanced around. He gestured towards Lockhart and swirled his finger next to his temple. Hermione had to cover her mouth. She certainly agreed. _Lockhart's crazy. Expecting us to do this and have only read his books to learn things about him!_

Hermione looked over the test one last time and filled in the things that she did remember, but it wasn't much. The only thing left to do was make things up and hope that Lockhart didn't know himself as well as he thought he did.

"All right everyone. Time is up. Pass your papers forward!" Lockhart declared happily, grinning the same maniacal grin that covered every book in the classroom. Quirrel had been a better teacher even if he never really did anything.

"_Hmm." Lockhart looked over the papers. "It looks like most of you need to read Travelling with Trolls more carefully. I clearly state that my favourite colour is lilac."_

Theo let out a sharp cough and clamped his hands over his mouth when Lockhart looked back at them. "Sorry Sir. Just a bit of a cough."

Lockhart nodded understandingly. "Pity I don't make the potions here. My elixirs work instantly and my brewing is rather superior to that of anyone else in this school. After all, the Headmaster knew what he was doing when he hired me."

Hermione couldn't keep a horrified loo off her face. She'd read the man's books and enjoyed them. Well written, understandable, and relevant to Defence. But in person, he was a joke and Hermione wondered how he'd ever managed to get a shadow writer that wouldn't even take some of the fame that came from writing Lockhart's books.

"_All right then." Lockhart stepped back behind his desk and lifted a covered cage onto it. "In my class you face your darkest fear. I will show you the most terrifying beasts known to Wizard kind." He looked seriously over the class. "I must ask you not to scream. It might excite them." _

Theo looked back at Hermione. "Maybe he can redeem himself?" he whispered.

Hermione shrugged and looked back at the front of the class. She wanted to know what was happening and learn everything, if anything, that Lockhart could teach her.

Lockhart whipped the cloth off the top of the cage and Draco let out a loud laugh that he didn't bother to conceal. Lockhart turned to him angrily. "Think they're funny do you? Cornish pixies are no laughing matter."

Hermione agreed with Draco. Not that she could tell him, due to the pact she'd made. But the blue, ten centimetre creatures were anything but frightening. They pressed their faces between the bars of the cage and stuck their tongues out at the class, some hovering up and doing the same thing to Lockhart. They definitely didn't scare Hermione, or make her think of anything evil and dangerous.

"Let's see what you make of them!" Lockhart opened the door to the cage and the pixies erupted as if shot from a volcano, moving at a breakneck speed about the classroom. Lockhart laughed at their antics, not noticing the damage they were doing. "Tricky little buggers, aren't they?"

Hermione leapt out of her desk and drew her wand. It was bad enough that Lockhart hadn't told them what to do about the pixies, but now the blue creatures were wrecking havoc. Four of them were lifting Neville Longbottom up by his ears, while another threw his wand out the window. Theo had gathered his school supplies back into his bag and was sitting on it to make sure that it stayed safe.

"Target practice anyone?" Hermione asked, pointing her wand at one of the pixies. "Will spells work on them?"

Vince shook his head. "There was a colony of those living in our house a few years ago. It was nearly impossible to get them out. Most spells won't work. Stunning and the killing curse are useless." He ignored the looks he got at mentioning the killing curse so casually.

"All right everyone." Lockhart brandished his wand. "Peskipiksi Pesternomi!" One of the pixies grabbed Lockhart's wand and threw it out the window to join Neville's until one of the other Gryffindors summoned Neville's wand back and handed it over to him.

The Slytherins in the back couldn't help it. They started laughing. Professor Lockhart was the best joke of their entire school career. Every time he opened his mouth, he embarrassed himself. It was one of those things that you read about but don't believe because someone that stupid shouldn't be allowed to exist.

Hermione glanced at Theo. "Can we leave now?" She asked, not bothering to lower her voice. The classroom was loud enough that there was no way Lockhart could hear her. "I think the class is over and I'd like to stay away from the pixie things."

Theo nodded and pointed his wand at the pixies. "Glacius!" He incanted the freezing charm and the pixie flying toward him stopped. "This works." He kicked the frozen pixie away and was tempted to stomp on its annoying, little head. But he didn't.

"All right, all right. Everyone out!" Lockhart led the retreat himself with the Gryffindors close on his heels.

_So much for bravery and loyalty. They're leaving Neville behind. _Hermione glanced back at Longbottom, he had tripped over a desk and was still struggling to gather his things and rush out the door. _Why is he spending so much time getting those books? He's going to get attacked again! _Hermione froze two pixies before they could attack him and hurried towards the door, there was no way she was going to spend any more time in the wrecked room for a Gryffindor, pureblood or no pureblood.

But it was too late. Before Hermione could get out the door, Lockhart peered back in. "I'll just leave the rest of you to tidy up." He snapped the door shut in her face.

"Great." Daphene moaned, she'd ended up behind Hermione. "This is really the way I wanted to spend the rest of my afternoon." She point her wand at one of the flying pixies, "Glacius." It fell to the ground and she snatched it up. "Where are we going to put these? I wouldn't mind crushing their heads." She

pointed her wand at another of the pixies, "Galcius." The pixie fell and was popped into the cage amongst the rest of the pixies.

Daphene was finding it easier than anticipated to catch the things. They were dastardly quick and their flying was so very controlled. But for some reason, the movement seemed easier to follow and her wand arm responded more quickly to her commands. If this was yet another benefit of being a cat animagus, she was glad that her first meeting with McGonagall was that night. The more she knew about her new powers, the better.

"Done." Hermione sealed the lock on the cage with a charm that made a squelching noise as it worked. "Thanks for your help." She glanced at the red-faced Gryffindor clutching his Lockhart books. "I'll remember how helpful you are in the future."

Daphene was tempted to stick her tongue out as she walked past Neville Longbottom. He may have been pureblood, but she didn't think he was redeemable. "Hermione, can you help me? With Binns' essay. I was sort of confused about what he meant."

"Fine." Hermione strode past her friend quickly. "Let's get to the dungeons and see what the others are doing. I wouldn't mind getting some spell practice in."

The two girls walked through the halls and down the stairs to the common room entrance. "Asphodel." Hermione said and they entered the common room. Since classes were still in session only those with free classes were sitting in around and most of them were older students. "I hope Lockhart lets us go early in every class." Hermione whispered quietly to her friend as she opened the door to the second year girls dormitory.

Everyone, save Draco, was gathered in the room. The curtains were pulled back and people were scattered around the room, lounging on the various beds and desk chairs. This time it was not Theo, but Millicent who was in the centre and doing the talking.

"See if we all try out for beater then not everyone can make it. There are still two fifth year beaters and they're pretty good as a team. I don't like our chances." Millicent had a scrap of parchment in front of her and kept motioning to it for emphasis.

Hermione walked to the centre of the room and peered at the paper, her curiosity getting the better of her. "Quidditch try-outs? When are those going to be held anyway?" Hermione wasn't interested in playing Quidditch, but more than half of her peers were trying out and that made her interested. Quidditch was the only thing that Hermione hadn't been able to get into so far and since it was really the only wizarding sport, she was hoping to find something about it to enjoy.

"Greg, Vince, and I all want to try out for beater." Millicent told her. "That means that in addition to any of the other years that want to try out, there will be at least five people competing for two spots. And Ivan Bole and Matthew Derrick both have the advantage of having been on the team last year." She glanced back at the paper. "Try outs are on Saturday. Didn't you check the notice board? Snape's added a bunch of new stuff."

Hermione nodded. "I was thinking of trying out. Not that I'll have any chance of making it," she added quickly. "Just out of curiosity and for the experience." She looked around, noting hopefully that they weren't starring at her with incredulous looks.

Millicent nodded. "Daphene is trying for chaser so I'd suggest trying out for seeker. They only take one each year, but we need a seeker. Last year was our seeker's seventh year and Captain Flint is scrambling to find someone else." She checked her notes. "Go sigh up on the notice board, and take a look and the other things Snape put up."

After putting her books away and grabbing a quill and ink, Hermione headed back to the common room. Daphene had emptied her bag, put in other school supplies, and rushed out of Slytherin. She hadn't stopped when Hermione called out and her pace had increased once she was out of the common room. _Oh well, I wonder what has gotten into her._ Hermione turned back to the notice board. "It certainly has changed."

The board was covered with advertisements for new clubs. Most of them Hermione had never heard of before. _Some of these sound quite interesting. Flying club, book club, dancing, chess. There goes my free time this year. _She smiled to herself and dipped her quill in ink to sign up for the various clubs.

When Hermione stepped away from the board, it was wet with ink. Her name was in the list for seeker try outs, knitting club, dancing club, flying club, chess club, study groups, and the book club. In the centre of the notice board was a large poster that reminded all the Slytherins of duelling, it was compulsory and Professor Snape was going to instruct it.

Hermione headed back to the dormitory and took a seat on her bed. "Duelling tonight." She looked around the room. "There certainly are a lot of clubs this year. And Professor Snape is making duelling club a requirement! What's going on?" She looked around uncertainly.

Theo shrugged, as much as it hurt him to admit that he didn't know something, he simply didn't. Millicent shook her head, same as Vince and Greg. Pansy looked up from her History textbook to say that she was also in the dark. When Hermione looked to Blaise, he opened his mouth to explain.

"My Ravenclaw sister, she's friends with Madeline Fitzjean, she's one of our sixth years. They go to pureblood school together in the summer sometimes and she said that Professor Snape has gotten requests for inter-house clubs, like the Hufflepuff food club and he finally decided to act on them." Blaise shrugged. "Sixth and seventh years are allowed to run clubs now. I think it's sort of cool."

Hermione nodded. "It should be. More house unity, and fun." She took out her planner and wrote in the clubs she'd joined and when they would meet. "Did you sign up for anything yet?" She asked, looking around the room. "I signed up for six different clubs. Although I need to go back and look up the times. I don't want to miss anything."

"You'll be busy." Theo commented. "I wasn't really sure. But I am signed up for Chess and Book club. It'll be a busy Monday but then the rest of the week is empty for the most part. Duelling on Tuesdays. And I might join the study groups too." He yawned. "I forgot how early we have to get up for classes."

"I signed up for Art and Drama." Pansy offered. "There isn't a fashion club, or a clothes club. That's what we really need." She sighed and returned to her History essay.

Hermione glanced at Pansy's textbook and checked her own planner. "I'd better get to work on the essay. I hate doing homework when there's so much else going on. It just makes everything seem so boring and tiresome." She picked up her History textbook and headed to her desk.

Theo stood up. "Essay sounds like a good idea. See you at dinner." He headed for the door. "Come on Greg, Vince. I'll give you a hand with the outline."

The boys left the room, excusing themselves politely. Millicent dug into her trunk and pulled out a roughed up beater's bat and a practice ball. She drew the curtains around her area closed and Hermione recognized the spell she cast as one that makes an object impervious and then a silencing charm.

"Today was exhausting." Pansy declared, reaching up and letting her hair come out of its tight braids. '"I hope every Defence class isn't like that. I'd make a wish for History class, but I know it won't happen." She sighed again and Hermione tried to ignore her and concentrate on the material in front of her.

When Pansy sighed again, Hermione lost it. "Can't you just shut up?! I'm tired too and there's still dinner and duelling and homework. Don't you still need to do your summer assignments too?" She got off her chair and pulled the curtains shut before casting a silencing charm. The noise was starting to annoy her. It was quiet at Sarah Cutter's house with only her godmother and the house elves for company. From the quiet, empty house to a room that she shared with three other girls was a big change.

By the time Greg came to tell the girls that the others were heading up to the Great Hall, Hermione had finished the first quarter of her essay and written an outline for the entire thing. The topic was rather easy. They simply needed to explain major causes of the Goblin revolution of 1243. And Binns spent an awful lot of time talking about it.

Dinner was all right. Hermione was anxious and excited all at the same time. She didn't really pay much attention to the stew and pasta served. It was the duelling that Professor Snape was going to be teaching later that night that she couldn't wait for. But it wouldn't start until six o'clock and it was only five o'clock now. There was still another hour of time to waste.

After playing with her food for a few minutes Hermione pushed her plate.

"Is that all you're going to eat?" Greg asked. His plate was heaving under the weight of the food piled on it and he was already on his second serving.

Hermione nodded. "I'm too excited to eat. I'll head back to Slytherin. I still haven't got a chance to try on my duelling robes. I have to make sure they still fit and everything."

"I'll come with you." Pansy sipped the last of her stew off her spoon. "Let's go." She stood up and pulled her robes over the bench before neatening the them up. She hated it when her clothes got messy and wrinkled, even if it only took a spell to make them seem as good as new.

"Can we come to?" Alanna Zabini was standing and motioned to her twin brother. "We're done eating and I'm not sure of how to get back to the common room yet."

Pansy glanced at Hermione. "What do you think? Can we bring the ickle firsties with us?" She changed her voice at the words 'ickle firsties' and sort of pouted the words as if she were a young child.

Hermione shrugged. "Why not? As long as they don't slow us down."

The four left the Great Hall, Hermione nervous about leaving so early. Snape had rules about meals and getting in trouble with her head of house was not something Hermione enjoyed. Especially right before a class he was teaching where there would be offensive spells and curses. Doing those things with someone who was mad at you is usually a bad idea.

Finally Alanna Zabini got tired of the quiet and tense mood. "First year is so interesting. We had Potions and Professor Snape picked on the Gryffindors, just like everyone says he does. And Professor Flitwick gave us an essay on safety and Snape gave us one of the Boil Cure potions. We're going to make it next class. And living in the dormitory is really cool. There's three other girls and it's interesting not being with Alexander so much and I really wasn't expecting to have so much homework on the first night. Do you think-"

Hermione growled and cut the first year off. "This is why people don't like firsties. You blabber on and on about things that we already now and it's boring and pointless and no one else cares!" She turned sharply on her heel and walked quickly down the stairs into Slytherin. Things were taking too long for her.

The common room was empty, everyone was at dinner or working in the library. Although since it was still early in the year, it was more likely that everyone was in the Great Hall.

Hermione headed into the dormitory and Pansy followed close behind her. When Hermione turned back and glared, people following too close bothered her, Pansy simply smiled. "I want to see your duelling robes. I got new ones too and I like talking about clothes." She shrugged. "Let's see!"

Hermione threw open the doors to her wardrobe and pushed aside her Hogwarts robes and a set of dark green dress robes. She had almost left her duelling robes at home, but now was very glad that she had brought them. Hermione pulled them out of the back and laid the robe on her bed. She pulled the bottom drawer out and took out the accessories that were to be worn with the duelling robe.

Pansy nodded appreciatively. "That's nice, very nice." The duelling robes were made from dragon hide, expensive but worth the money. It offered spell protection and always looked good. This particular hide was made from green and purple scales.

"There's boots and a hood." Hermione put the flat soled knee high boots on her bed and looked over the hood. "I'm not quite sure how to put it on." She showed Pansy the tiny case in her hand. "My godmother insisted that I get the teeth things too. These are sparkly, they match." Hermione popped open the case and showed Pansy what she meant.

Pansy giggled. "They would look sort of silly. Purple teeth that sparkle green and glow in the dark. All anyone can see of you is your smile. Try it on."

Hermione nodded and pulled the curtains closed around her area. Outside she could hear the noises of Pansy pulling off her clothes and putting on duelling robes.

The dragon skin felt as nice as it had when Hermione had first pulled it on. Her entire body felt protected, yet free to move however she wanted and do whatever she wanted. The boots didn't fit over her socks, like the rest of the outfit, it was skin tight. She bound her hair up in braids and fastened them tightly to her head. Hair was a target and it could get in her way if she wasn't careful.

Finally Hermione opened the curtain and stepped out into the room. She used one of Pansy's favourite spell that turned the air in front of her reflective, sort of like a mirror. _It looks good, it looks really good. I can't believe that all witches don't walk around dressed like this all the time. I look. . .amazing._ She was so busy admiring her appearance that she didn't pay any attention when Pansy pulled back her curtains.

"No teeth?" Pansy asked, smiling when Hermione turned back to look at her. Pansy's duelling robes were made out of pink silk, just like her pyjamas, and they made little shoes that looked like ballet slippers. Hermione could see a shiny pink around Pansy's teeth. It was almost as if braces were fashionable in the magical world.

"That looks nice." And Hermione really did like Pansy's robe. It only fell to her knees and there weren't any sleeves. The pink silk flowed easily around her a she walked and Pansy's dark hair was braided tightly to her head too. "I like the teeth."

Pansy nodded and pulled at her hair after looking at her appearance in the mirror. "I hate having long hair, it's such a hassle." She re-pinned a section of it. "I wouldn't mind cutting it all off. Father wouldn't care and I'm sure I could find someone willing to cut it."

Hermione shrugged and took her wand out of the hip holster. "Let's go. Where are we suppose to meet anyway?" she asked as Pansy led the way back to the common room.

"Common room." Daphene said, hurrying past them into the dormitory.

Hermione turned back. "Where's she been? I thought I saw her at dinner. And where did she rush off to anyway?" She looked to Pansy. "What is it?"

Pansy shrugged, the pink silk swaying with her movements. "Like I care. Come on."

The boys were already in the common room. Their dress robes were long than the girls but not any less tight. Hermione liked Theo's the best. Navy blue with the Nott crest on the chest, it reminded her of the jerseys footballers wore in the muggle world.

"This should be fun." Draco said, looking hopefully around the crowd of first, second and third years. "Don't you think?"

Theo said nothing and the rest of them followed his example. The third years wouldn't talk to lower years unless they had too and the firsties were nervous enough, they didn't want to talk with the second years. They were big and scary from their point of view.

Hermione looked at the clock. _Six o'clock. Snape should be here by now!_

The door from Snape's office banged open and the professor entered in a flurry of black robes. He stopped in front of them and crossed his arms as he looked over them. "In the future, this will be treated as a class and school robes will be worn."

Pansy looked at Hermione nervously and gave a minimal shrug. Hermione understood that and wished that she'd seen it before. There were only two first years without duelling robes, everyone else was wearing them. _Duelling robes aren't really appropriate. They're so tight and revealing. And cold in the winter._

"Follow me." Snape's cloak snapped as he spun around and he headed for the exit door and led the twenty five students out and down the hall. They proceeded through the dungeons, past the Potions classroom and Snape's office. Down a flight of stairs and through a doorway.

The room was simply a classroom. There was another door at the front, next to the chalkboard, but it was closed and nothing behind it could be seen. Hermione looked around the classroom. There were thirty single desks and a larger desk at the front with a few folders of papers on it. Professor Snape headed up to the front of the classroom and stood in front of the large desk.

"Take a seat." He ordered and waited for the students to sit down. The first years ended up near the front and the third years in the back with the second years in the middle, the other years would meet on different nights. "This is duelling club, or duelling class as you may wish to call it."

"Here you will learn curses, jinxes and hexes that your parents and possibly the school administration may prefer that you not learn. This group exists for one reason."

Hermione's hand shot into the air. She didn't really mean to raise it, it just happened when someone asked a question that she knew the answer to, even if the question was rhetorical.. Luckily, Snape ignored her.

"To aid you in your study of Defence Against the Dark Arts." He did not acknowledge the few laughs that came from the second years. They were the only ones who had been in one of Lockhart's classes already.

The rest thirty minutes were not as interesting as Hermione hoped. Snape taught a lesson on the History of duelling and once again became angry when he realised that no one had thought to bring parchment or quills. "This is a class. In the future you will come prepared. Five points from Slytherin."

There was almost a collective gasp from all the students. They knew, or had heard that Professor Snape rarely took points from his own house and if he did the people that lost points were in deep trouble. "There will be a quiz on this material next week. I suggest that write down as much as you can remember as soon as we are finished."

Snape's lesson was more interesting than Binns, but Hermione wanted to duel and learn spells. Not when the Unforgivable curses became unforgivable. Most of the material she already knew from reading all the books the library had on duelling in her first year.

"Get up." Snape finally snapped at them once he'd finished speaking. "We aren't finished yet." He opened the second door with a flick of his wand and turned on the lights with another flick.

The sight before Hermione was amazing. The room was larger than the gym at her school had been and it was made to practice duelling in. One side was filled with various training equipment, like weight benches and treadmills. There were five targets in the centre of the room for spell casting practice and the other side of the room had a sunken pit in it with seats around it. It was a duelling pit. Just like they used to use in formal duels.

"Wow." One of the third years whispered. "Wow. This is place is crazy. It's good."

Snape clamped his hands to get their attention. "There is a piece of paper fastened to the door with five groups on it. These are your duelling teams. Line up in your teams. Now."

The students rushed to the door, Hermione was one of the last to get there and she looked over the paper quickly to find her name. _There it is. Who's with me? _She scanned the list of names over. _Group five and there's three first years, a third year__,__ and me. Great._ She turned back to groups and found the line Pansy's brother was in. They were in the same group and she was not looking forward to duelling any more.

"Attention please." Professor Snape set a thunder crack out of his wand to get the students attention, it made them quiet very quickly. "The clock on the wall will chime every eight minutes. At that time you will proceed to the next station in the order. Do not waste any time, unless you would like to be here all night."

Hermione gulped and waited. "Begin now." Snape flicked his wand at the clock and made his way to the duelling pit.

The third year in Hermione's group led the other four to the side of the room with equipment and stopped in front of the speed weights. They were lighter and useful for building lightening fast reflexes, and those were crucial in duelling.

"I'm Joy duMonde." The third year told them, she had auburn hair and very pale skin, but her high quality robes let everyone know that she was definitely not a Weasley. And the fact that she had a slight accent that Hermione couldn't quite place. "These are the machines. There are diagrams to show you how to use them. If you need help, I will try." She looked over her charges, glad that she had attended the sessions Snape had offered at the end of last year for second, fifth and sixth years.

Hermione picked up two pound weights and glanced at the diagram on the wall before starting the exercises that it suggested. The others followed her example and worked hard for the eight minutes until the clock chimed, then they put down the weights and proceeded to the next station.

Group five worked their way through heavy weights and treadmills and they broke the silence during the eight minutes of running. Hermione learned her fellows names. Nadia Habib, the girl Pansy had stayed with during the summer, Pansy's brother, Mathias Parkinson, and another boy, Jeremiah Goodwinter. He was the oldest in his family and a pureblood of the middle class, between the Goyles and the Malfoys.

Target practice wasn't as interesting as Hermione had hoped either. The targets didn't move and her spells tended to be more destructive than they were able to duel with. Even third years weren't suppose to know stunning spells and Snape hadn't taught them yet, although Hermione would bet that learning Stupefy would be one of their first lessons.

When the clock chimed for the last rotation, the fifth group moved to the pit sunken in the floor. Snape stood next to the stairs that led down into it and explained the rules.

"You may use any spell you know as long as it is not life threatening and you have used it before. Duels last until one person wins or two minutes, whichever is shorter. The first pair is Miss duMonde and Mister Parkinson." He stepped aside to let the two pass into the pit.

Hermione headed to the side with the other members of her group. They watched as Snape set off sparks and signalled the beginning of the duel.

Joy began to slowly advance on Mathias, keeping her wand out and her body in a crouch. After a few seconds of creeping, she leapt forward crying out, "Expelliarmus!" Mathias' wand went flying and she summoned it to herself. The first duel was over.

Snape didn't looked surprised. He simply called out the next pair. "Miss Habib and Mister Goodwinter." The two hurried into the pit, pushing past the others trying to come out. They took up their positions and waited for the signal to start. As the red sparks fell, they started.

This interested Hermione. It was only the first day of classes and they were both first years. The duel would show who had more previous experience and whose parents let them practice magic at home and what kind of spells their parents let them learn.

"Furnunculus." Nadia said timidly. A red beam came out of her wand, but it fell short of Jeremiah, she was too scared of hurting him to cast powerfully.

Unfortunately for her, he didn't have the same idea. "Impedimenta." He cast and once she froze he used his next spell. "Incarcerus." Thick ropes flew out of his wand and bound her tightly, her wand clattering to the floor. There was only one duel left.

"Miss Morter and Miss duMonde." Snape announced, glancing at the clock. The duelling club was starting to go slightly over the amount of time he'd planned. Switching stations was taking too long. "Go ahead."

Hermione swallowed and looked nervously at the witch in front of her. Joy was a third year and rather good with her spells. She took a deep breath and prepared herself, she knew how to block and cast. "Stupefy." She cast, it headed quickly towards the older girl.

"Protego." Joy deflected Hermione's spell with a twirl and flick over her own wand. "Tarantallega." she said almost immediately afterwards.

Hermione fell to the floor, the spell flying harmlessly over her head. From her lower position she raised her hand and tried again. "Stupefy." She yelled, sighing in relief when it hit Joy in the legs and she collapsed to the ground.

Snape came down into the pit. "Rennervate." A blue mist came out of his wand and Joy groaned and sat up. The worst part of the stunning spell was falling and getting bruised. "A little more care next time Miss duMonde. You were nearly there, don't forget that your target can move."

Joy nodded and picked herself up off the ground. "Go work Miss Morter." She offered her hand and Hermione shook it.

The clock chimed and Snape dismissed the class, reminding them to bring supplies and wear their uniforms next week.

Hermione walked back to the dormitories and collapsed on her bed. It had been a very long day. She spelled the curtains shut and closed her eyes. _Hopefully I won't have any nightmares tonight__._


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter and his universe do not belong to me or make me any money. That's all for JKR.

Hermione Dark Plan – Chapter Four

The morning of September 15th started out normal. Students gathering clothes, stumbling up to breakfast half asleep. After the late night of Saturday not everyone managed to get there on time. Some had to wait until lunch. But Hermione headed up along with Millicent, Vince, Greg and Blaise and most of the firsties, Snape got angry if too many of the younger students, first to third year, started staying up late.

Hermione sank onto the bench in relief. She was very tired, classes and clubs were taking up all of her time. And on top of everything, Snape had asked the Slytherins to start practising and building their stamina on their own, outside of duelling class. It was hard.

_I can handle this. _Hermione piled her plate high and dug in, she was going to work out with Greg and he could go on for much longer than she could. The other second years followed her example, quietly eating and drinking hot tea, students weren't allowed coffee and in the morning pumpkin juice just didn't cut it.

"Rocky!" Alanna Zabini jumped up, looking towards the entrance of the Great hall. Alexander and Blaise turned, but in a more refined fashion. A large horned owl was making its way across the hall, great wings flapping and talons holding a thick letter.

Hermione caught Alanna's eye and motioned for her to sit down. Slytherins weren't suppose to jump around happily simply because they'd recognized an owl. "Your owl?" She asked Blaise, gesturing with one shoulder towards Alanna.

Blaise nodded and looked anxiously at the owl. "I hope. . .never mind." He didn't want to share he details of his home life with his year-mates. But he wished that it was a letter from his mother, but had been ages since he'd heard from her. Her mission wasn't suppose to end until the twentieth of September.

The owl didn't come to the Slytherin table. It approached the Ravenclaw table and landed in front of Blaise's older sister – Johanna. Blaise sighed, it was probably their father just writing to see how things were. He didn't really understand how fragmented relations between the houses were and thought that his eldest children still spoke and got together at school.

Hermione glanced back up to the owls. She was hoping that her parents would write her another letter at some point. But there hadn't been anything, they might have not even gotten her message. It had been sent in the end of May. That was almost five months ago!

But several owls landed at the Slytherin table. There were the usual packages from home, a few letters from sweethearts among the older students and an owl for each of the three Zabinis. They were odd looking and Hermione couldn't remember ever having seen birds like them before.

Hermione motioned to the owl in front of Blaise. "What is it? Aren't you going to open it?" She asked him interestedly. "And what kind of owl is that?"

Millicent put a hand on her arm and shook her head when Hermione looked at her. It only took a moment, the four Zabini children had all gotten up and were heading out of the walls. At the Staff table, Professors Flitwick and Snape seemed to be locked in a serious conversation. Both with unusual looks on their faces.

"What is it?" Hermione asked again. "What do the owls mean? The letters?"

Millicent took another long drink of pumpkin juice. "Blaise's mum works at the Ministry."

Greg nodded. "Trinity Slater, she's the only woman on the special team. That's a Ministry owl." He pointed to the wing and Hermione saw the letters tattooed onto the owl's skin. They made the feathers in that area sort of inky so that the message came through.

"Is that bad?" Hermione asked. "I thought that most wizards had owls. And the Ministry lends their owls out?" That definitely did not sound like the Ministry she's heard and read so much about.

No one at the Slytherin table would answer Hermione's question. They all stared silently at their plates, glad that it wasn't them that had gotten the letter from the Ministry owl and hopeful that they'd never see one of the Ministry birds again.

"Fine. I'll ask someone else." Hermione left the breakfast table and headed down to the dungeons, angry at the Slytherins behaviour. _They know I don't know as much as they do. And my friends are suppose to help me? I'll just ask Daphene or Pansy. They'll know, and they'll tell me. Not like the rest. . ._ Hermione sent a nasty look back towards the Great hall.

That turned out to be a mistake. For in the few seconds that Hermione turned her gaze from the direction she was walking was the time that she crashed into something and tripped, falling onto the floor. She grunted and rolled off of whatever she'd walked into. "You all right?" She asked, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the change in light.

Hermione nearly screamed when she saw Draco, deathly pale, sprawled on the floor. His lips were slowly turning blue.

"Think Hermione! Don't just stand here, he'll die." She told herself, saying it out loud made everything seem real. "I'll go back to the Great hall, get Professor Snape. Or I could cast a contact charm." Her mind was working hard, trying to figure out what to do. Finally she pulled her wand. "_In dubio_ Hermione. _In loco_ corridor." She knelt down beside Draco, confident Snape would get her message.

Draco looked back. Hermione couldn't find a wound and he didn't seem to be breathing very often. They didn't study biology at Hogwarts, but Hermione knew how important breathing was. And she didn't want to think about the consequences of not breathing for Draco.

Severus Snape came racing down the corridors, his robes billowing behind him a terrifying expression on his face. It was quite clear that anyone who got in his way could expect detention and a loss of House points. He knew that Hermione wouldn't call for him in a trivial matter.

"Miss Morter?" He stopped abruptly in front of her. "What is it?"

Hermione stood up and stepped away from Draco. "I found him like this. I don't think he's breathing. . ."

But Snape wasn't listening any more. He'd conjured a stretcher and levitated Draco onto it. "Return to the common room." He ordered her. "There's going to be a house meeting. No one is to leave." He fixed her with an incredibly hard glare. "Got it??"

Hermione nodded and left as quickly as she could. _Snape's angry. What happened to Draco that could make him upset? I didn't think that he was happy with him, no one is now._

**

"Silence." Professor Snape snapped, coming in through his office door and standing in his usual place in front of the largest fireplace. "Miss Duke, Mister Montague. Get everyone in here, now." He looked over the students standing in front of him his icy gaze forcing each of them to meet his eyes and then quickly look away.

Hermione took her place with the other second years. Blaise hadn't returned to the common room after breakfast and she wondered if it could have been him that Snape was looking for. _Maybe Blaise did something to Draco. Something really dark, he did get that letter from the Ministry. But so did the rest of his family._

It took Heather and Abraham less than two minutes to clear out the dormitories and have everyone assembled in the common room waiting for Snape to speak. There were only a few students missing and Hermione tried to remember who they were in case it had something to do with the situation. _Blaise, Alanna, Alexander and that four year girl. I wonder if Snape will get mad at them?_

"This mistreatment of Slytherins by other Slytherins stops now." Snape declared, his voice dangerously low. "I don't care what you think they have done or if you think they haven't been punished properly. " He crossed his arms and looked over the students.

"A second year nearly died to day. From poison, a difficult one learned in early seventh year." Hermione could hear the students in the back flinch and bow their heads. "I'm not making accusations now. That's not the message of this meeting. Anyone found taking any action against a fellow Slytherin, anything whether it is gossip or a curse, will be brought to me and punished most severely." He looked about the crowd, making sure the seventh years bore the brunt of his glare was focused on the seventh years.

Professor Snape pulled a scrap of paper from his pocket. "Miss Morter, Mister Nott, Miss Chabré, all sixth and seventh years are to come with me. The rest of you are dismissed." He waved a hand at those that weren't released and led them through his office into the Potions classroom.

Hermione exchanged a nervous look with Theo. _I bet these are the suspects. The only problem is __that I've been included __in__ them! Certainly Snape wouldn't think that I poisoned Draco and then called him for help! But then what kind of poisoner acts like a worried friend? He might think that I did it because I called for help!_

There was a sharp cracking noise and Hermione jumped. Professor Snape had cast a spell at the blackboard that cause the chalk to rattle and jump as they began to write out a message on the board. "Miss Morter, Mister Nott, with me please." He beckoned them into his office.

Hermione clasped her hands behind her back and looked at the floor. She couldn't see Theo's face but she hoped that he was unsettled to. _Sure, we were trying to punish Draco. Help him make the right choices, but we wouldn't try to kill him!_

Snape cleared his throat. "There is a unified movement among the second years. They all have seem to forgotten that Draco Malfoy is a Slytherin student. Honestly, who did you expect me to believe was behind it? The two of you need to cover your tracks more carefully."

Hermione nodded and out of the corner of her eye she could see Theo doing the same thing. "Yes sir." She murmured. "Please sir, is Draco going to be all right?" _I hope that didn't sound like a guilty person trying to reassure themselves that their victim would be fine._

"He will recover. Madame Pomfrey said that if it had been even another five minutes. . ." Professor Snape looked at Theo. "Mister Nott, Miss Morter, doesn't either of you have anything to say?"

Theo shook his head, not giving a verbal answer.

"Very well. The two of you will return to the classroom now." Snape flicked his wand and cleaned the message off the blackboard in the Potions classroom.

Hermione and Theo walked back into the room and took seats when Snape motioned to them. "Well Miss Duke, what have you decided?"

Heather took a deep breath. "Yes sir, we'll do it."

There was a hard expression on Snape's face. "Very well." He summoned a pitcher of water and fifteen glasses to the desk at the front of the room that was usually used for demonstrations. He filled all the glasses of water and had the students come up and each take one, Hermione and Theo included.

Hermione regarded the liquid nervously. There was something going on and she didn't know what it was. That scared her. The fact that there was most likely something in this water and she didn't know what it was, was even more terrifying. "What do you think?" She whispered to Theo. He was the only other student who hadn't drained his cup the moment he received it.

"I don't think we have much of a choice." Theo said, motioning to the front of the room. Snape had both eyes trained on the second years. His gaze shifted to their cups for a moment, then back to their faces.

Hermione swirled the water in her glass around. It looked like water, it acted and smelled like water. She drained the small amount of liquid, tasted like water too. But a few moments later Hermione felt something come over her. Her head began to spin and white dots appeared in front of her eyes. If she'd been standing she would have fallen over. "Wha. . ." She tried to speak but her words were slurred and then refused to come out at all.

"Miss Morter did you poison Mister Malfoy or have any notice or knowledge of his poisoning or anyone involved with the act?"

Hermione heard the voice. It sounded odd and for some reason she felt compelled to answer. "No. I didn't know anything. I didn't poison him." Suddenly there was another odd feeling as her head began to clear and the spinning was transferred to her stomach. This time she did fall off her stool onto the floor.

"It will pass." Professor Snape's voice came from somewhere above her, then he continued on. "Mister Nott, did you poison Mister Malfoy or have any notice or knowledge of his poisoning or anyone involved with the act?"

Hermione heard Theo answer in the negative. The third year girl didn't know anything either. It was at that point that her eyes drifted closed and she let herself fall asleep, in dreams there was no pounding head or Draco for her to deal with.

**

When Hermione awoke she was no longer in the Potions classroom. Her first thought was that she had been returned to her dormitory but once she opened her eyes that notion disappeared. Only once before had she woken up in the Hospital wing and it hadn't been under the best circumstances.

This time she wasn't sure why she was in there. _I don't feel sick or hurt. And Professor Snape usually can cure most problems quickly so he doesn't send Slytherins to the hospital wing. What happened? _Hermione pushed herself up and looked around the ward. _Draco! He's suppose to be in here! _At first she couldn't see anything, her eyes were busy adjusting to the light.

Hermione got out of bed and slowly walked toward the corner of the room. The bed there was occupied and it was the only one as far as she could see. _Draco has to be there._ And he was, but he didn't like very much like the Draco Hermione remembered from yesterday.

He was deathly pale for one thing. His hair actually looked much darker than his skin and it seemed to be slightly grey and his breathing seemed shallow. Hermione took a seat on the bed next to him, shivering in her hospital gown. It was made out of thin material and she didn't have on any socks let alone slippers or shoes.

"Ah, Miss Morter. There you are." Madame Pomfrey emerged from her office and headed toward Draco and Hermione, drawing her wand from a white sheath on her hip. She pointed it at Draco's still form and mumbled something while spinning the wand in an intricate pattern. A light green mist rose from the boy's body.

Hermione looked at Draco and than back at the mediwitch's wand. "What was that?" She asked. "And why am I in here?"

Madame Pomfrey put her wand away. "Just head back to your bed. I'll be around as soon as I give Mister Malfoy his next round of potions." She gave Hermione a gentle push in the direction on the bed she'd woken up in. "Go on."

Hermione crossed the floor and climbed back into her blankets. It was much warmer in the bed under the covers, especially since her feet were no longer in contact with the cold floor. She took a deep breath and almost considered closing her eyes and going back to sleep.

_After all, I deserve a bit of extra rest. I've done nothing but work since the first day of classes. All kinds of essays and reading, not to mention that Professor Snape piles on duelling club assignments and I keep going in for extra practice. If the years keeps on like this I'll have to drop some of my clubs. There just isn't enough time for everything._

"Miss Morter, how are you feeling?" Madame Pomfrey asked as she waved a general diagnostic over Hermione. "You were in quite a state when Professor Snape delivered you here." She frowned and cast the diagnostic again. "Ah, nothing really." She murmured, more to herself than anyone else.

"But what happened?" Hermione asked. She remembered taking the water that Snape had given her, answering a few questions and then closing her eyes. _I must have fallen asleep on the floor of the Potions classroom. Probably caught a cold or something._

Madame Pomfrey summoned a pale green potion and set it on Hermione's bedside table. "Professor Snape believes it was simply an allergic reaction to one of the ingredients in a potion you had ingested. Now I don't know what potion it was or what you're allergic to."

Hermione shrugged. She'd never been allergic to anything in the muggle world. "Okay. May I leave now?"

"Yes." Madame Pomfrey put up a hand to stop Hermione from getting up. "However, your Head of House is making an appointment with an allergist at St. Mungo's. It's important to discover any allergies that you may have. You'll need to attend that appointment and possibly take some potions for treatment."

"Whatever." Hermione got out of bed. "Where are my clothes?"

Pomfrey summoned those out of a trunk at the end of the room and cast a privacy curtain around her bed. "Change into your robes, take the potion and you may leave." When she saw Hermione's mouth open, she cut in before the girl could ask her question. "It's to repress any more of the cells that are reacting badly to your allergies. You'd probably be vomiting everywhere if it wasn't for that potion."

Hermione nodded and waited for the mediwitch to leave before changing into her Slytherin robes and downing the potion. It was foul but she'd been expecting it and tried to not let it bother her. "Goodbye Madame Pomfrey." She called before heading out into the halls.

But the common room was nearly empty. Hermione muttered the password and entered. The only students in the room were nearly all the first years and a few of the older students. It took Hermione a moment to realize what this meant. It was Saturday, she must have slept longer than she'd thought. Today was the day of the Quidditch try outs.

It took Hermione five minutes to run up out of the dungeons and across the grounds to the Quidditch pitch. Captain Marcus Flint wasn't in the centre of things. That was the first abnormality she noted. The second was that Daphene was on the pitch. And she wasn't the Daphene Hermione recognized.

Hermione's quiet friend didn't wear skin tight unitards of green and silver with her hair tight braided to her head. And Daphene didn't usually have such a hard and determined expression on her face. Hermione caught her eye and gave her a quick smile before turning her attention back to the organization.

Miles Bletchley was holding a large clipboard and had a broomstick over one shoulder. "All right everyone listen up!" He bellowed. A spell obviously being used to amplify his voice. "Everyone who is NOT trying out needs to get to the stands. They're just slowing us down." He declared and glanced at his worksheet.

"Anyone interested in trying out needs to get in the air. Now!" He took off his own broom and left the ground displaying some impressive talent when he took both hands off in order to make notes. "Everyone is to fly three laps around the pitch. Last. . ." He looked over the group. ". . .six are cut immediately."

Hermione hurried into the stands and watched as the Slytherins began to fly around the goal posts are quickly as they could. To her surprise, Daphene was near the front with the rest of the previous year's team.

Bletchley pointed his finger at the last six people, telling them quite loudly to get off the pitch and come back once they knew how to fly. "Potential keepers and chasers in the air. Everyone else down."

Hermione leaned forward eagerly, Daphene was in this group and the girl was a good flyer. If she was good with balls that she had a pretty good chance of making it.

Everything started with a loud whistle from Bletchley. The only two keeper candidates set themselves up in front of the hoops and the chaser hopefuls rotated through, taking turns trying to put the ball through the hoops.

Some of the students were hopeless, like the prefect, Lila Murdock. Others like Daphene seemed to be doing well. Hermione hadn't seen her friend miss a single shot. But then there were at least six others who were as good as she was.

Bletchley blew the whistle again. "Teams of two or three. Use formations!" He bellowed before turning back to look at the players.

Hermione was nervous. She didn't think that Daphene had been able to practice with any of the other students and she'd have a hard time learning new formations on the spot. But the girl surprised her again. Daphene had a team and while the two boys she was working with weren't nearly as good as she was, it was still fun to watch. Hermione found herself wishing that she'd attended Quidditch games the year before. They were bound to be more exciting than practice and she was already enjoying herself.

Daphene's group was the last to perform formations. Bletchley watched them closely as they flew in and blew his whistle once Daphene had put the quaffle through the hoop. "On the group. Beaters up!"

Millicent, Vince and Greg all mounted brooms and checked their body armour one last time before leaving the safety and comfort of the ground. But after two minutes of beater try out Hermione was bored. Somehow hitting a hard ball at other people just didn't appeal to her. It was too blunt and obvious.

Daphene left the change rooms and hurried up the stairs into the stands. She took a seat beside Hermione. "What's happening? How are Vince and Greg doing?"

Hermione simply pointed. "They work well together." And they did. As Hermione and Daphene spoke they'd flanked an older player and were hitting the bludger back and forth, bouncing it off him as many times as possible.

"I'm bored." Hermione announced. "Not to mention the homework I need to get started on. Oh, I was suppose to see Snape too."

Daphene nodded distractedly. "About what happened with Flint?" She asked, her mind clearly still in the game.

"Huh? What happened with Flint?" Hermione was puzzled. "Why isn't he here?" She waved a hand over the Quidditch pitch that served as the Quidditch captain's second home.

Daphene yawned and stretched her arms. "Snape had him expelled for some reason. Said he was being treasonous to the name of Slytherin and that he was hurting us in more ways than one." She shrugged. "I didn't really listen. The hawks head attacking formation seemed more important at the time."

Hermione nodded and felt more anxious to leave than ever. "I need to go. It was nice seeing you Daphene." The girl nodded distractedly, her attention was still focused on the potential beaters and the waiting seeker candidates.

The dungeons were still nearly empty. Hermione headed back to the dormitory. She hadn't been expecting to find Pansy and Theo pouring over books and sitting rather close together as they studied the same tome.

"Oh sorry." Hermione crossed the room quickly and pulled the curtains shut around her bed and desk. She pulled out a stack of parchment paper and started composing her latest essay. Of course there had probably been more homework assignment while she was sleeping in the Hospital wing. _So much to catch up on_. She would have grumbled out loud, save for the fact that she didn't want to disrupt Theo and Pansy working a few feet away.

There was a shuffling of papers and the sound of an ink bottle hitting the floor. Hermione tried to ignore it, it wasn't any of her business and there were charms that made the same noises, it didn't mean anything, but what she heard next did.

"That's it." Hermione stilled and pulled out her wand, tempted to cast a voice amplification charm. Theo was just too quiet.

"What are you, we, going to do?" Pansy asked, her voice hushed.

"I've got to confront her. After all, with the prophecy and everything. Am I suppose to deny it? And what about this second line?"

Hermione couldn't believe her ears. It sounded to her as if Pansy and Theo were plotting something. And it didn't sound particularly pleasant. She crept closer to the curtains and cocked her head in their direction.

"Look at the wording. Maybe it doesn't refer to her. After all, 'the one who sits to the left of the blue flames' could be anyone. It doesn't specify the flames or where they are suppose to be." Theo's voice sounded desperate.

Pansy sighed, Hermione could hear the frustration in the noise. "It's all in the interpretation Theo. The last line says 'Theo Nott', but it might not even be you! The prophecy was made eighty years ago!"

Theo huffed. "Fine. I'll go look up all the Notts in the last eighty, no ninety years and see if there is anyone else it could possibly be!" Hermione heard him get to his feet and she slipped out into the hallway quietly. Pansy didn't take kindly to being eavesdropped on and Theo would probably turn all of Slytherin against her, like he'd done to Draco.

Hermione still needed to talk to Professor Snape. _I hope Draco's going to be all right. And I've got some kind of allergy now? No one tells me anything! I'll need the notes from the classes I missed to. Maybe Blaise can lend them to me. I haven't seen him today._

The door to Snape's office was closed, but Hermione knew that he'd be in there. The Slytherin common room had a slip of paper next to the door that declared the times when his students could seek him out for the day and expect him to be there, and according to it she had another hour before he left. She raised her hand and knocked timidly.

_TBC . . ._


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer**: Harry Potter and his universe do not belong to me or make me any money. That's all for JKR.

Hermione's Dark Plan – Chapter Five

"Come in."

Hermione turned the door knob and entered the Potion Master's office. Snape was sitting at his desk, a pile of marking in front of him and a large pot of red ink in his hand. He put down his quill and the ink pot and looked up at Hermione.

"Ah, it's you. I was wondering when I would see you."

Hermione nodded and took the chair in front of his desk that he'd indicated. "Sir, what happened? With Draco and the allergy? Where's Blaise? I haven't seen him today either."

Professor Snape moved his papers over so that there was no longer any obstruction between them. "Miss Morter, you are one of the people in your year that I expect better of. You know that I cannot answer many of your questions, yet you still ask them."

Hermione nodded. "Please? I won't tell anyone that you're the one that told me. I'll say I just figured it out on my own!"

The professor didn't seemed very swayed by her arguments. "Mr. Flint was expelled yesterday. The headmaster felt that his rule infractions were severe enough to warrant it. Mr. Malfoy was brought to St. Mungo's Hospital two days ago and is due to return tonight around the same time results from the Quidditch try-outs are posted."

"All right. What about Blaise? And my allergy?" _I already knew that Flint had been expelled. Daphene told me. He must have been the one to poison Draco. At least he got what he deserved. Although it is too bad that he didn't stick around. Slytherin would have punished him for hurting one of our own._

Professor Snape glanced at the clock on his wall. "The Zabini family have taken temporary leave from the school to deal with a family event. It is not any of your business, nor is it my duty to tell you. As for the allergy, you had quite a severe reaction to one of the ingredients in the Veritaserum you took. St. Mungo's allergist set up an appointment for you on the third of December at ten o'clock in the morning."

Hermione nodded. "Thank you sir. Any idea when Draco's going to be back?" She really wanted to ask if he had any idea of who would make the Quidditch team, but Hermione was smart enough to realise that Snape wouldn't tell her that and if he gave her an answer it probably wouldn't be the right one, and he wasn't going to answer a question when he'd already told her the answer.

He simply raised an eyebrow at Hermione, as if he knew what she was really thinking and heartily disapproved. She got up, blushing slightly, and left his office. There was always so homework she could work on. And there were Daily Prophets that she hadn't read. Half the time the articles were useless drivel, but It was a good way of learning about wizarding culture, politics, and important figures.

All the mail that had arrived for her was sitting on her side table. Hermione couldn't believe that her eyes had simply skated over the papers and letters before. It was as if everyone would write to her when she was ill but they couldn't be bothered to write the rest of the time.

The newspaper was its usual thickness, but something on the first page caught her eye. Hermione picked it out and scanned the headlines. There was an article halfway down the page. Her eyes set upon it and devoured the words.

It took a moment for the meaning to hit her full force. Blaise's mum. . .was dead. Johanna, Alanna, Alexander and Blaise, they were all left with their muggle father and a mother who'd died a hero. Not that Hermione thought killing Death Eaters should be heroic. Her own parents were members of the group and there was no doubt in her mind that Trinity Slater wouldn't have hesitated to kill her parents if they'd been in the same situation.

But Hermione's heart was not hard against Blaise's pain. She could scarcely remember her parents. There was a few letters, some diaries that she hadn't even gotten a chance to read, and her mum's jewellery box. She didn't know what was worse. Knowing that her parents were still alive, but without memories of them and little chance of ever seeing them again. Or having know them and loved them. There would be memories, both good and bad and an idea, or at least a semblance of who the missing woman really was. Hermione wasn't even sure of what her parents looked like.

Hermione sat heavily onto her bed. This was certainly unexpected. But it made sense. The letters that had been delivered to the Zabini family by Ministry owls. . . They had been notices of death. And they'd left to attend the funeral, or memorial service. The article didn't go into detail about the funerals. For the public, there would be a service on the radio for the five members of the Ministry Hit Squad that had perished.

"I've had enough of this!" Hermione threw the paper onto the floor and stamped upon it. She pulled open her wardrobe doors and flung a great deal of the garments onto the floor until she reached the one she wanted.

The blue robe was rather large, but her godmother had found it in the attic and had told Hermione of the time her mother had worn it. Somehow just wearing the sky blue duelling robe made her feel comforted, as if her mother had her arms around her. Hermione left the dormitory and the common room. She headed down the hallway and strode angrily though the classroom in front of the duelling practice gym.

It was empty. Hermione sank to the floor, not bothering to draw her wand and warm it first. Her robe was getting cold and dirty, but it didn't seem to matter now. There was so much evil, so much darkness in the world. Her mind jumped from images of her parents freezing in Azkaban to a woman that looked similar to Blaise arranged artfully in a coffin. Her light robe slowly began darker and darker as the water soaked it.

Slowly, the girl picked herself up off the floor and pushed her hair out of her face. There was one thought in her mind, and it had fixed itself there quite strongly. It seemed rational. After all, what child wouldn't want to free their long-lost parents from a horrible prison that the International Confederation of Wizards had declared to be a violation of human decency that should be destroyed.

Hermione drew her wand and raised it chest high, pointing it at one of the target dummies. She let the anger fill her mind and without consciously casting a spell, a blot of silver light emerged from her wand tip. It surged through her and made the air crackle until it hit the dummy where it burned and sizzled, turning the stupid thing to dust within a few moments.

She looked at her hand and wand in amazement. That was not anything she'd seen before. She hadn't even known that producing something of that nature was possible. It was like Zeus' lightening blots from the old myths she'd learned in muggle school. Hermione stuck her wand back into the holster and left the room as quickly as she could. Snape had magic sensors throughout the dungeons. There was little doubt in her mind that he would be able to figure out it was her magic blot thing. And for some reason she didn't want anyone else to know.

It took her a moment to arrive back in the common room. But for a second Hermione thought she'd walked through the wrong door. This common room was full of loud, emotional students talking very quickly and very fearfully. They were all crowding around the bulletin board and at the same time moving away to make space for Professor Snape to walk through the mass of people. He carried a single sheet of paper in his hand.

Hermione felt her own pulse quicken in anticipation. She wanted her friends to get the positions she felt they deserved. Quidditch was making sense to her now, emotions ran high and everything was lightening quick in nature.

The professor tacked the paper to the board, pulled away the sheet covering it and then left the room, closing the door to his office tightly. He knew from experience that the next few minutes in his common room were some of the loudest there would be all year.

Hermione waited for the mass of people to clear and she eventually ended up in front of the board, looking up at the list of names, barely daring to read it for fear of the information on it. She yanked her eyes up and scanned the list of names.

Starters

Draco Malfoy - Seeker

Adrian Pucey– Chaser

Charles Warrington III – Chaser

Desmond Montague – Chaser

Ivan Bole – Beater

Matthew Derrick – Beater

Miles Bletchley – Keeper

Second String

Terence Higgs – Seeker

Daphene Greengrass – Chaser

Amanda Bole – Chaser

David Palce – Chaser

Vincent Crabbe – Beater

Gregory Goyle – Beater

Dezzy Montague – Keeper

Hermione looked at the list again and again. Three second years had made into positions, good positions at that. And considering how many injures there tended to be within Slytherin, at least two of the second string players were going to get to play. If she was lucky it would be Daphene. She hurried into the dormitories, rushing to find her friend and congratulate her.

"I am so sore!" Daphene exclaimed as she lay on her bed, staring up at the canopy of her bed. "I don't think I've ever flown for as long or been hit with as many bludgers as I was in the past hour. Oh, hello Hermione."

Hermione laughed, "You finally noticed me? Congratulations Daphene. You worked hard." She opened her trunk and pulled out a tiny bottle, no bigger than her pinky finger. "Drink this and you'll stop hurting. It's a mild muscle relaxant."

Daphene shrugged and knocked back the brew, giving her head a shake at the taste. "Thanks, now I just have to live through practices and try to make sure the Chasers are targeted by the Gryffindorks so I can play a few games." She pulled back her lips in a rather feral smile.

"You going to need help in that area?" Pansy stepped out of the curtains surrounding her bed. "I'd be happy to help. Getting the Gryffs or our fellow snakes." She attempted to pull back her lips in the same feral smile that Daphene had, but it didn't work out and looked more like the stare of a slightly sane inmate of Azkaban.

Hermione shook her head in amazement. "Don't you remember anything Snape told us? You can't just start harping or hurting, or even talking about something like this! Snape will have your head, and then he'll have ours!"

Daphene nodded in agreement. "You saw what happened to Marcus Flint. He was out of here so fast that he didn't even have time to get all his things. Apparently he wasn't even allowed to take the train back. His parents arrived and floo'd home with him."

There was a knock on the door. Then it opened and Millicent came in, bringing all the boys, save Draco with her. She looked rather dejected, but then, out of all the second years, she was the only one who hadn't made it.

"I just don't get." Millicent leaned against the wall, crossing her arms on her chest. "Draco wasn't even there and he still made the team! How does something like that happened? I'd make a better seeker than Draco!"

Hermione could nearly feel the anger coming off of her room-mate. "Think Millicent. Who is Draco's father? He'd do anything to make his family look better." She put her hands on her hips. "It would look bad if Draco didn't make the team, or something like that."

"But Draco had a falling out with his father." Pansy reminded her. "Wouldn't this be a good opportunity to get back at him? After all, everyone knows that Draco isn't even welcome at the family home any more." She smirked, an expression that her face could pull off, unlike the feral smile.

Hermione sighed. _Why do I have these idiots for friends? They're the ones that have spent their entire lives in this world. Why do I have to explain it all to them? _"Very few people actually know what's going on with the Malfoys. It wasn't in the Daily Prophet. Or in any of your magazines." She motioned to the stack of tabloids and gossips that Pansy had subscriptions to in the corner. "Obviously Mister Malfoy wants to keep things that way."

Pansy sniffed. "Fine." But her expression made it clear that she wasn't sure and was probably going to spend the night going through all her magazines in hopes of finding an article to prove Hermione wrong.

Theo claimed a place on Hermione's bed. It was the only empty one. "I'm looking forward to tomorrow. Potter is apparently back in classes. And tomorrow's potions!" He raised an eyebrow. "Anybody else up for a little Potter baiting?"

Hermione shrugged. "Maybe. I guess there really isn't anything better to do before class. Oh, a bunch of clubs start tomorrow too. Book club and chess club I think." She grinned. "Plus that stupid essay for Lockhart."

Greg let out a bark of laughter. "That class is a joke. All we do is read from his stupid books. And now he tells us to write a poem about him and some werewolf. Who does he think he's kidding?"

Vince nodded in agreement. "If Lockhart saw a real wolf, let alone a werewolf, he'd run as fast as he could in the other direction." He thought for a moment. "He ran away from those tiny pixies!" He snorted in laughter like his cousin.

Hermione raised her hands helplessly. "I haven't even started. I considered not doing it."

"Then Snape would be on your head." Daphene commented, propping herself up on an elbow. She collapsed back onto her bed. "Oh! I could sleep for a week!" She rolled her shoulders. "Hermione, your potion didn't do anything."

Hermione found another vial in her trunk and tossed it to her friend. "Mix it with a glass of water. I think that makes it work faster or something." Things quieted down when Daphene left, but when she returned, the second years settled down to having a little party together..

The Slytherin Second years weren't nearly so loud the next day. Breakfast was a quiet affair, followed by double History of Magic. Millicent was suppose to take notes for the group, but she got bored and was soon snoring on her desk.

"Hermione. Hermione." Theo whispered as loudly as he dared, poking the girl in the back with his quill. "Hermione!"

Hermione groaned and turned around. "What? I'm tired. I want to sleep!" The girls had been up most of the night, celebrating and doing their homework for Monday. And the boys hadn't returned to their dorm until past eleven o'clock.

"You gotta take notes. Millicent fell asleep!" Theo put his quill down and rested his head in his folded arms, atop his desk.

Hermione groaned and pulled out a stack of parchment, swearing to kill Theo as soon as she was awake enough to make sure that she didn't point the wand the wrong way around.

Lunch was quiet. Apparently Harry Potter was sitting at the Gryffindor table, his first meal in the great hall since he'd returned. Hermione didn't care enough to go and see. After all, they could make fun of him in potions class. And watch Snape have fun with him too.

Once the food was cleared and the warning bells chimed, the Slytherins got up, Hermione dumping her books into Greg's arms, and they made their way to the dungeons. Today it all seemed darker and quieter. As if their exhaustion was passing into the walls of the castle itself. And the sky in the great hall had shown dark rain clouds and it had been starting to rain as lunch ended.

The heavy wooden door to the potions classroom was closed. It wouldn't open until two or three minutes before the class. They had quite a few minutes, all that needed to happen now was the Gryffindors arrival.

Hermione resisted the temptation to pace the hallway. She wanted to see Harry Potter and have the rumours end before her eyes. _Is it true __his_ _relatives starved him? And that his owl grew thin enough to slip through the bars on her cage? Honestly, they're going to kill him if they treat him like that! _The thought of Harry Potter dying appalled Hermione. Not because he would be dead, but because muggles would triumph over a wizard. That was what she saw as the ultimate crime.

"There they are." Greg pointed toward a crowd of ragged looking Gryffindors making their way down the hall. They were already short one, what with Ron Weasley dying the year before. _And it has been almost a year now. _Hermione reasoned.

They stopped, still quite a few lengths away, standing shoulder to shoulder with someone behind them. Actually, it was only Dean Thomas, Lavender and Longbottom. The corridor wasn't that wide. Hermione was certain that Potter was standing behind them. They were Gryffindors, bravely protecting their own from the nasty, evil, Slytherins.

Hermione stepped to the front of the group, wishing she had Draco's abilities to appear majestic in anything. "So," she drawled, something she'd been practising over the summer, "Are all the rumours true? Does Harry Potter now have to hide behind others? Or is he just too skinny since his family," she rolled the word around in her mouth, smirking a bit, "Can't remember to feed him?"

"At least his family loves him. Or some of them did." Lavender Brown shook her head as if it should have been obvious. "They weren't Death Eaters."

Daphene stepped up beside Hermione. "At least our parents still remember us. They're not crazy." She glanced at Neville. "Is that worse than death?" She put a finger to her lips. "I wouldn't know."

Theo raised an eyebrow. "Maybe we should try it out. Find a Gryffindor, kill one parent and torture the other. Then ask which is worse." He stared at the Gryffindors. "Just to find out the answer. It is a rather interesting question." He looked away and bit his lip, trying not to think of his own dead mother and research obsessed father. He nearly fit those requirements.

Neville turned away and Lavender, her face red stepped forward, her hands tightening into fists opened her mouth to speak. Just as Snape opened the door. It flew open with such force, smashing off the wall and nearly getting forced closed again.

"In." His voice was cold and quiet. He gave a warning look to his Slytherins, letting them know that he knew exactly what was going on and that there might be dire consequences if they upset him enough. It was a sneer and a glare the Gryffindors received, their usual. Especially for Harry Potter. Snape did have quite a lot of time to make up for.

They filed into the classroom and took their seats. Hermione glanced at Theo. He was looking nervously at her from behind the cauldron between them, almost as if he expected her to lunge at him and curse him to death. She tried to ignore him and simply pulled out her note taking supplies, ready to dedicate some time to watching Harry Potter humiliated.

Professor Snape stood at his podium. He didn't take roll and left the board blank, starting right off with a lecture. "Today you will be making a nutrient potion. Quite useful when you haven't eaten for some time or lack the time to eat."

He continued talking about thee uses of the potion and how helpful it had been when it was first discovered. Hermione took it all down, but most of her brain wasn't paying attention to her professor at all. She glanced carefully across the room, making sure that Snape wouldn't call her out and that she didn't draw too much attention to herself.

As Snape spoke in length of the virtues of calf's blood to restore a body's nutrients, Hermione glanced over to the Gryffindor side of the classroom and grinned to herself. Her guess had been right. Potter was looking thinner than ever and was getting greener by the minute as Snape went on about the potion.

There was no doubt in Hermione's mind, he'd been in a bad situation before arriving at school. And considering how much everyone cared about him at Hogwarts and how concerned with his safety they were, he couldn't have left his relatives house. _So they did stop feeding him. Pity McGonagall had to go and rescue him before he was beyond hope._

Hermione gave her head a tiny shake and turned her attention back to the lesson going on. A few minutes later, Snape posted the instructions on the board and gave them the page number in their books. "I'll get the stuff," she muttered to Theo before heading to the cabinet at the back of the room.

The class was uncommunicative, even more so than normal. Theo didn't talk, just pointed to various tasks in the books and didn't his share of the work in silence. Hermione spoke out loud at first, but it was too odd without him speaking too.

Snape stalked about in his usual manner, managing to intimidate the Gryffindors and help the Slytherins all at the same time. Just the way with which he looked into the various cauldrons boiling away.

"Well, well Mr. Potter. All that extra time and you still didn't manage to crack open a book this summer?" Snape looked at the Gryffindor, a smirk hidden in his face to show that he knew the boy couldn't have read his books and was still choosing to make fun of him anyway.

"I am most disappointed Potter. A special invitation to arrive at school, you haven't bothered to do any reading or homework." The words rolled off Snape's tongue as if he took great pleasure with each and every one. And knowing the man as well as many of the Slytherins did, they knew he was enjoying it.

Hermione laboured over the cauldron, trying to ignore the way that the stream stank and made her hair rise around around her in great puffy clouds. She pushed it back. _I need a more permanent potion treatment. Something that will stay in for days._

Theo leaned over his book and studied it constantly, comparing colours and cleaning up their workstation. Hermione checked her notebooks for the helpful little tips that Snape had never bothered to tell the Gryffindors. Hermione loved the feelings of superiority she got after glancing across the room and watching the Gryffindors sweat fruitlessly at their tasks.

Once their nutrient potion was finished, she pulled it off the heat and bottled a small sample, casting a stasis charm over the rest. She added an unbreakable and slip-stop charm on the phial and sat back down, waiting to be dismissed.

The class ended sooner than Hermione had anticipated. Only a few of the other Slytherin pairs had finished, and none of the Gryffindors managed to brew the complex draft. Hermione shrugged, turned in her phial and left, glad to leave the day behind and retire to the common room.

The mood was somewhat tenser than usual. Professor Snape had promised that there would be upcoming tests, physical, mental and magical, in his duelling class and the older students had been rushing off constantly to practice for the event. Hermione didn't see the point. She would pass, or she would fail. And that would be that.

"Book club," she reminded the other second years, ignoring the groans and mentions of brown-nosing. Hermione didn't understand how this could be seen as brown-nosing. There weren't any teachers to nose. And the sixth and seventh year students didn't have enough time to plan out sophisticated activities. Hermione still wasn't sure what to expect.

Theo nodded. He was planning on attending both clubs running that night. "Chess later on too. That, I am looking forward to."

Hermione shrugged and took the last of her school books from Greg. She followed the rest of the girls down the hall and into their dormitory. Books were dumped out on beds, homework noted down in planners and on calenders.

It had been Millicent's idea to start a big calender for all of them to write things on. It went one month at a time and all the homework, Quidditch practices and games, and holidays got written on it in Pansy's nicest script.

Hermione didn't care much for Quidditch. Flying hadn't really been her thing and she'd failed to attend any games the year before. Of course, now, that she'd actually seen at bit, her perspective was a bit different. But the cynical part of her mind told it was was because it was the first of any Quidditch she'd ever seen and more couldn't possibly be much different.

Dinner was a quick affair. Hermione went as early as possible, when there was only sandwiches and a few appetizers. Nothing really spectacular. But she was looking for food and then looking forward to the book club.

With only a few minutes to spare she made her way back down to the common room and hurried to join the group of students sitting in the corner. A little folder had been handed to her the week before with information on all the clubs she's signed up for.

This one sounded the least organized and by far what she was interested in the most. _A pity really, I'll just have to get things running proper now. Give some suggestions and forceful guidance. After all, I'm not wasting my time here._

Besides Theo, there were only three other people. Two boys and one other girl. Hermione didn't know any of them. She guessed that the older boy was Jehan, the one running the club. The two girls sat on either sides of him, both holding books in their robed laps.

Immediately Hermione regretted rushing through supper. It would have been better to skip the meal and get food from one of her friends later. She hadn't had time to change out of her school robes, and it seemed like everyone else had. She felt like a third wheel in a great relationship between the other Slytherins and the common room itself.

The-boy-who-might-be-Jehan waited another three minutes, until it was four o'clock exactly, to start talking. "This is the book club. I'm Jehan. This is my seventh year, and yeah. We're going to talk about books and stuff like that."

Hermione looked him over as the two girls, Ellen and Courtney, introduced themselves. He wasn't big and beefy like most of the other seventh years. Instead, he was reedy, a bit like Theo's father. His fingers were long and easily wrapped around the spine of the book he was holding.

"So are there any books you want talk about?" He asked, looking at the four younger students with an almost pleading expression.

Hermione leaned back and clasped her hands on her lap. She did have a question, but she wanted to see him squirm first. It was too much fun, especially since the upper years liked to pick on the first years. While that wasn't allowed this year, things had been different in her first year and she still remembered the comments and stuck out feet that could mean hours of cleaning ink off of books and parchment.

"Actually, I was wondering if any of you had a copy, or could obtain a copy, of _Prophesies: How to Falsify and Prove._" Theo asked. "I was working on a project, extra-curricular, and some things came up. I can't get a pass to the restricted section either."

Jehan waved one of his pale, long fingered hands at him. "Honestly, I'd think you were a firsty, if only you weren't so tall. Fill out one of Snape's forms and he'll give you a pass, or at least a voucher." He stuck a hand into his bag and gave Theo the parchment scrap he pulled out. "Here, you can have mine. But if there are any books on it other than that prophecy one, you'll pay."

Hermione had never used one of the restricted section application forms, but the idea had crossed her mind several times. Of course, if Theo got one, that she could always make him take out books for her and skip the risk of being blamed for anything.

_Why is he so obsessed with prophecies now anyway? And why is he so nervous around me? I'll ask Pansy, they seem closer than ever. _Thoughts of plans, schemes, and humiliating tasks sped through her mind, pausing only briefly and then getting firmly kicked out, lest they land her in great trouble.

The rest of the book club hour was pointless. The two other girls talked about some book they'd both read during the summer. _Sounds like a plotless romance novel. _Hermione thought. She had tried reading one of them, once. After that, she'd stayed clear of novels popular among her female year-mates.

When the bell rang out the hour, Jehan let them go, reminding them of the meeting next week. He tried to say that they'd be discussing poetry by someone Hermione had never heard of, but no one paid any attention. Hermione sighed. It didn't look like the book club was all she'd hoped it to be.

"Are you still going to Chess?" Theo asked, as they headed back to the dormitories. "After that, I think I'll just sit around and do homework."

Hermione shrugged, "I'll give it a try. But I don't know about next week. We don't actually have that much homework yet. It seems a lot easier than first year."

Theo shook his head. "Don't let the third years here you saying that. They'll fill your head with horror stories about teachers and essays and how difficult their exams were. Just give it time. My dad told me that I'd want to be a first year again by the time it was Winter break."

The two parted ways, heading to their separate dorms. Hermione collapsed onto her bed, grabbing a book off her shelf. She still hadn't decided whether or not she was going to the Chess club. But there was still two hours. Plenty of time to make a decision.

_TBC . . ._

I'd like to apologise to everyone. I never meant to leave this story alone for so long. I'm working on it again and I promise that I'll never leave a story in progress. Chapters might take awhile, but they'll all get here eventually. I'll be posting a chapter in one of my stories every Friday, but not all of those posts will be Hermione's Dark Plan.


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